Eternal Flame
by slickboy444
Summary: While still struggling with the Phoenix, a mysterious force is plaguing Scott Summers and it's a force that's frighteningly similar. In addition, a powerful warrior becomes involved and the Xmen face a force like no other. ScottJean and others.
1. Dream Scream

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 1: Dream Scream**

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* * *

AN: Hey everybody! Slickboy's back with another story for all you fanfiction fans out there! Man, after my epic fic "Sinister Soldiers," I don't know how many more of these super long sagas I can handle, but it's all been worth it! And after all the wonderful support I got from that fic, I was inspired to create yet another. While I don't expect this fic to be nearly as long as "Sinister Soldiers," "Extermination," or "X-men: Evolution of the Heart," I will try and make this every bit as powerful as my other stories. This is something I've had in my head for a while now and I think it's time I finally got it out, but first, I think you should all know how this story came about.

For nearly four years now, I have been an avid follower of the Ultimate X-men series. To date, it is my absolute favorite comic. After everything got completely screwed up in 616, namely by Grant Morrison, I turned to Ultimate and haven't looked back. The whole comic is so much simpler with stories that anybody can follow without really having to know a whole lot about 40 years of continuity. It's a good, fresh start in my mind and I like how it's developed. They've really fleshed out the characters in a new way while keeping with their classic X-men feel, stayed true to the classic couples, and even introduced a few new concepts along the way that have been very interesting! But it was the Ultimate version of the Phoenix Saga that inspired me to do this story along with a keen interest in ancient mythology. And now here I am, ready to tell my first story in the Ultimate universe! I hope you all enjoy it!

In addition, this fic marks the return of my OC Jack Robinson, aka "Slayer!" That's right! The sword wielding warrior from "X-men: Evolution of the Heart," "Darkness and Light," and "Hellfire and Brimstone" is back! And as always, you can expect him to bring along plenty of action, wit, and complications to the Ultimate universe!

Summery: Takes place after Ultimate X-men 60 after the Mojo arc and after Logan and Ororo's return. Scott Summers has been having strange, inexplicable dreams lately. At times, he feels as though he's being consumed by fire, strength, and raw, unbridled power of cosmic proportions. It's an all too familiar scenario for the X-men, namely his girlfriend, Jean Grey, who is still reeling from her own little phase with the Phoenix. Yet just as last time, the team seems powerless to stop this strange manifestation within Scott. But things get even more complicated when a mysterious warrior calling himself Slayer makes an appearance as well as a dark and evil force that's bent on using both Scott and Jean for raw, unhindered destruction. Now, it's up to the X-men and Slayer to stop this force and save their friends in the process, but how can they overcome a force great enough to destroy an entire universe?

Pairings: Scott/Jean with slight mentions of others like Ororo/Logan and Kitty/Spiderman.

Rating: PG-13 for violence, mild language, and slight sexual references.

AN: 'These mean character thoughts or psychic communication.'

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men characters or the Ultimate universe in any way, shape, or form. They are the sole property of Marvel, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby. With that in mind, please don't sue. I have nothing. Jack "Slayer" Robinson, however, is all mine. And so is his evil adversary in this fic, Warlord Xin. So please don't steal or use either of them without my consent!

As always, I greatly urge each and every one of you who reads this, or any other of my stories for that matter, to REVIEW! After every chapter, send or post a review! I'm open to all kinds of feedback! And if you're going to flame, please be considerate. Send your comments to me via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Either way is fine as long as you REVIEW! This is my first ever Ultimate story and I really want some feedback from you all. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this story!

Also, before I begin I would like to send a special thanks to all the reviewers who have been so kind to me with my fics: KaliAnn, Radnommarvelfan, Doza, Strayphoenix, Quillian, Simba317, Howlerdrode, Extra2restrial, Heartsyhawk, X00001, and especially Agent-G (you rock my friend!).

Well, that about does it my faithful readers! Now without further adieu, slickboy444 proudly presents "Eternal Flame!"

ENJOY!

* * *

Everything around him was burning. The very air around him feeling scorched and aflame like the surface of the sun. All he could feel was power…Raw, uninhibited, unabated power. It was everywhere from the palm of his hands to the penetrating gaze of his eyes. It was coursing through him as if it were a part of his very being. It was strange, scary, and overwhelming. But at the same time he was enjoying it. It felt both terrible and wonderful…All this energy…All this power.

He wasn't sure where he was, but he knew he was floating in some bright void. It felt as though gravity itself had gone out the window as he hovered in a disoriented state, trying to figure out what was going on here. It didn't make any sense. How did he get here? How did he get this immense power?

Suddenly, as the blinding light surrounding him began to clarify, he was met with a most terrifying sight.

'No…It…It can't be.'

It was all gone. Everything was destroyed. Hovering from high above, he could see the planet Earth before him…Destroyed, decimated, and devastated. Vast fields of death, completely devoid of life, now littered what was once a thriving plethora of life. It was all gone. The world he loved and everybody within it…Utterly wiped out.

**"Scott…"** came a booming voice from all directions, **"Come to me…Embrace me…"**

"No…" gasped a young man surrounded by the bright flames of this mysterious, omnipresent power.

**"You cannot escape me. You cannot deny me. Come…ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY!"**

"NOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

Suddenly, with a pained yell that echoed all throughout the halls of the Xavier Institute, Scott Summers, leader of the X-men, shot up from his bed. His hands were clutching his head and his whole body felt as though it was on fire. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. He could barely even move.

'Scott…' came a gentle voice in his mind, 'Scott, are you okay?'

He knew who this voice was. Usually, it was a voice that brought him comfort in dark moments such as this. But this time, it was different. This time, he felt no such relief from his tormented state. And as he had at so many other points in his life, he completely shut everything out.

While still on his bed trying to recollect his thoughts, the door to his room suddenly opened and a few familiar faces stepped in.

"Scott…Scott, what happened? What's wrong?" asked Professor Charles Xavier, founder and headmaster of the institute.

Bound by a wheelchair, the crippled man made his way over towards his first student. Following close behind him was a beautiful, yet anxious looking redhead. She was Jean Grey, also known as Marvel Girl. And Scott Summers was her boyfriend.

Behind the two of them, there were also some curious onlookers who had heard the commotion and gotten up to see it. There was Bobby Drake, codename Iceman, the institute's young and half-matured boy with the power to make ice. Next to him stood the tall and imposing Piotr Rasputin, codename Colossus, a Russian born mutant with the power to cover his body in an inpeneratrable, unbreakable layer of metal. And appearing next to him in a puff of smoke was Kurt Wagner, also known as Nightcrawler, a former subject of Weapon X who had a demonic appearance and the power to teleport short distances.

"Dude, what's going on? Did it happen again?" groaned Bobby, looking as though he had just been jolted from a very peaceful sleep.

"Shut up, Bobby!" said Jean in response, shooting him a disgruntled look, "Just go back to bed."

"I knew it. More nightmares," said Kurt to his two friends under his breath.

"Oh man, this is the third time this week!" said Bobby in a tired and exasperated tone, "What is with this place and nightmares? Did the Professor build this mansion on Indian burial grounds or something?"

"I'm not sure, my friend," said Piotr with a tired yawn, "But seeing as how we aren't under attack again, I think I'll take Jean's scowl as a hint and try to get some sleep."

"Ja, me too," said Kurt in agreement, "I think zhey can handle it from here."

Taking one last look at their bewildered friend, the three boys left Scott's fate to the Professor and Jean. And they would have just let it go from there, but as Bobby had said, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. In fact, this had been ongoing for weeks now. And as a result, Scott had been growing increasingly distant lately. Again and again, he was having these inexplicable nightmares that were causing him to wake up screaming as if somebody was physically torturing him. It wasn't getting any better. If anything, it was getting worse.

"Oh man! I don't know how much more of this I can take," said Bobby as he dragged himself across the hall with Piotr following close by, "And besides, didn't 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' start out like this?"

"You watch way too many horror movies, Bobby."

"Yeah? Well maybe you're not watching enough. Night big guy."

Once the two boys were back in their rooms, that left both the Professor and Jean to deal with Scott, who was still not coherent after his dream. They kept trying to talk to him, but it was as if he wasn't even aware of where he was. Even with telepathy, he was shutting them out. Or more so, he was locking himself in. It was an all too familiar sight…Especially to Jean Grey, who had endured an all too familiar experience with the Phoenix Force.

"Scott…Scott, babe, it's me," said Jean, getting up on the bed and wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's trembling body.

"Jean…" he managed to get out, swallowing hard as he began to take in his surroundings, realizing that he was back in his bed and not flying over a decimated wasteland.

"It's okay, Scott…It's okay. I'm here."

He felt as though he had just come out of a sauna. His whole body was racked with a thick layer of sweat. He was burning up, short of breath, and practically shaking as if he had just received a hard shock to his system. Such symptoms were not lost upon Professor Xavier, who had dealt with this situation before when Jean was still struggling with the Phoenix. And with the memory of what the Phoenix had done still fresh in his mind, the powerful telepath was intent on preventing a similar event from taking place.

"Scott, tell me what happened. What did you see this time?" said the Professor as he watched him cling to his girlfriend.

"I…I don't know," said Scott, sounding both anxious and frustrated, "It's that damn nightmare again!"

"Again?" said Jean, knowing exactly what he was referring to, "You mean the one with all the fire?"

"Yes, but it was different this time! It was so real. I could see the whole planet…As if I was flying through space or something. And it was…Destroyed…Decimated. It looked like somebody had thrown the whole thing in an oven and cooked it like a Thanksgiving turkey."

This disturbing description caused Professor Xavier to ponder for a brief moment. For weeks now, Scott had been experiencing these so called 'dreams' as they were. They started off light and always seemed to involve this strange fire or light, but now it was getting more complex. Now there were actual images coming out with these dreams…Images that couldn't possibly be mere coincidence.

But there was more to the dream…A lot more in Scott's mind. And this is what made it the most disturbing to date.

"There was also a voice," he said, the enigmatic words he had heard in his dream still echoing through his mind.

"Voice?" said Jean curiously, a slight chill running up and down her spine.

"Yeah, this…I don't know what it was, but it was calling out to me. It kept saying things like come to me or embrace me."

"Embrace?"

"Yeah, but that's just it…I felt as though I was already embracing it. I mean, it was as if this…Thing was a part of me. I've never felt so much power before. It was as if I was some kind of god or something. But after I heard that voice it…It all gets a little fuzzy."

Scott stopped after that, simply taking several deep breaths in an effort to collect himself. He was tired, anxious, and deeply frustrated. Ever since these dreams had begun, he had been unable to get a full night's sleep. Hell, he hadn't even been able to get a half night's sleep and at the rate he was going, he would be a full fledged insomniac in no time.

He stayed close to Jean, who had been the only one he really allowed to get close to him since this whole ordeal began. They had been dating for months now and their relationship had grown quite strong, especially after what happened with Wolverine and the Phoenix. But now it seemed as though something else was trying to hinder their elusive happiness.

"Hmm…" said the Professor, finding this all the more intriguing, "Scott, why don't you come to my study? Perhaps I can use my powers to decipher what this voice means."

"Decipher? Yeah, sure, whatever…" muttered Scott, not sounding too optimistic as he dragged his tired body out of bed.

"Very well. And Jean, I think it would be best if you returned to bed."

"What? No way!" shot Jean in response, "Why can't I help with this Professor? It's not like I don't have experience with nightmares and voices."

"Which is exactly why I think you should sit this out," he said in a more stern tone, "Whatever these dreams are, I don't want them triggering another episode."

As much as Jean respected Professor Xavier, he did have quite a knack for trying her patience when it came to certain matters, namely those having to do with her ever volatile powers. But this was different. Scott needed her and she was going to help him. That, and she just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something to this that just didn't seem right for some reason.

"Oh come on, Professor! I told you before! I have control now! I'm not going all Carrie White anymore! And besides, this is probably the one thing that I probably know about even more than you, so I'm staying to help, got it?"

As if to explicate her point, Jean took Scott's hand and gave it a firm squeeze. It was a gesture that made the young man ease up a bit, but it didn't seem to sit well with the Professor. He had already spent innumerable hours with Jean trying to manage whatever this force inside her was and the last thing he wanted was to deal with her and Scott at the same time. But given that Jean had a knack for being stubborn, the Professor chose not to argue with her on this matter. He neither had the time, nor the patience.

"Fine, you can help. But I don't want you giving any telepathic assistance, okay? One mind is difficult enough to decipher."

"Okay, I understand," said Jean, forcing herself to remain calm for Scott's sake.

"Very well…Now come Scott, let us see if we can't uncover this precarious dream of yours."

* * *

Later in the Professors office, Scott found himself sitting back on one of the comfortable chairs with his eyes closed and his mind open. While he never really liked to let anybody in his mind, for the sake of finding some much needed answers to this damn dream, he was willing to do whatever was necessary. Jean was standing off to the side, acting only as an outside observer and a supporter for her boyfriend as she watched his tense form sink further into a state of induced relaxation.

"That's it, Scott," said the Professor as he encouraged his first student to relax, "Breathe deep and keep your eyes closed. I want you to focus only on the sound of my voice. Try not to think about anything and keep your mind open. Let me look into your thoughts. Let me see what it is that you've experienced in these dreams of yours."

A slight sigh escaped from the young man as his body continued to sink into the chair. Having already done this on a few occasions with the Professor after his nightmares began, he was somewhat used to this feeling. He tried to empty his mind and let the Professor do his thing while Jean anxiously watched.

Finally, the Professor could sense that his mind was ready and his usually stiff mental shielding was down so he could make his way inside his tormented mind.

"Okay Scott. Now I'm going to look into your mind. I'm going to bring back that dream. Just stay relaxed and remain calm. It'll all be over soon."

Armed with some of the best telepathy in the psychic world, Professor Charles Xavier placed his hands on his temples and entered the mind of his first student. At first it was fairly uneventful, going through the usual layers of consciousness from some of his past memories to his emotions and personality traits. Already he could sense that he was not in a very strong state. There was anxiety and frustration everywhere, but this only served to heighten the Professor's curiosity as he followed it deeper and deeper into the depths of his mind…Until finally, he found what he was looking for.

'The dream…I can feel it, but…'

Suddenly, the Professor's probe was hit with a sudden burst that he had not experienced before during other such sessions. It was as if everything around him had suddenly caught fire and he was taken by complete surprise. On the outside, the Professor's brow tightened somewhat as he struggled to maintain his focus, but the longer he stayed the more he was bombarded by these strange and inexplicable forces. Suddenly, he was able to make out a few fuzzy images.

'No…' he thought as he gasped at what he sensed.

Darkness…Destruction…Devastation…Decimation…It was even more horrific than Scott had described. He could see the whole world in a state of complete and utter destruction. But at the same time, there was also a feeling of great euphoria. It was as if this great power brought both joy and sorrow simultaneously. Everything was in complete and utter chaos. So much power…So much energy…It all seemed too fantastic to ascertain.

Then he heard it…The booming voice that hung so strong in Scott's mind. It was calling out to him.

**"Scott…Feel the power! Creation and destruction…The light that feeds all life…BECOME THE POWER!"**

"NOOOOOO!"

Suddenly, the Professor was thrust out of Scott's mind as he let out another tortured yell. His body was now contorting and struggling as he tried to shake his head clean of these images. As soon as Xavier managed to collect himself, he saw Jean at Scott's side trying to sooth his demeanor. He was still struggling and gasping for air, as if he was suffocating or choking. But he had seen exactly what he had wanted to and he got more than he ever could have bargained for.

"Professor, what the hell happened? What did you do!" demanded Jean as she struggled to get him to calm down.

Looking back on what he had seen, Professor Charles Xavier was in a state of both confusion and shock. But it wasn't just because of what he had sensed, it was more so what he was reminded of when he felt this…Whatever it was. Looking back at Jean, he vividly recalled what he saw in her mind when he worked with her to stop the Phoenix from taking her over. And what he had just felt within Scott felt very similar…Too similar in fact.

"Professor…"

"I think I need to do some research with this," said the Professor as he wheeled out from behind his desk, his voice wrought with a new sense of anxiety as the voice that he had heard in Scott's head echoed through his mind.

"Research?" said Scott, who was still breathing hard in an effort to catch his breath, "What do you mean? What did you see? Just what the hell is this damn thing that won't leave me alone!"

"Scott, please! Try and calm yourself," coaxed the Professor, "Getting worked up about it is only going to make things worse. Now I sensed something…Something very powerful that I cannot yet explain. I have my suspicions, but I must look into this more deeply if I'm to find the answers you want."

Scott found himself clutching his head, feeling all the more aggravated by this incessant dream. He was so tired. All he wanted was a peaceful sleep. Was that really so much to ask? Why was this thing attacking him of all people? What was so special about some orphan boy from Alaska?

"Try to get some sleep, my boy. I know it sounds difficult now, but you must try and rest. I will try and find some answers, but for now you just need to get whatever sleep you can. And if you want, I can give you some sleep aids if it will…"

"No Professor. It's alright," sighed Scott with a tired sigh, "I'll manage. I just…This dream…"

"I know. And rest assured, I will find out more. You have my word."

That was good enough for Scott, for if he couldn't find the answers, then maybe the Professor will. Regardless of what certain people thought of him, namely the likes of Nick Fury of SHIELD, he still believed him to be a sincere man. And regardless of what was going during times of uncertainty, he was still a man of his word.

Scott took comfort in that as he felt Jean take him by the arm and lead him out of the room. He barely had the strength to move on his own, but thanks to Jean's support, he managed as best he could.

"Come on, babe. You're going to get some sleep if it kills me," said Jean, trying to lighten things up slightly.

"Yeah…Easier said than done."

Once the young couple was gone, Professor Charles Xavier found himself rubbing his sore temples as he reflected on what had just happened. The images from Scott's mind still hung very vividly in his head, but he wasn't quite sure what to make of them. The real disturbing part, however, was that this wasn't the first time he had encountered such a phenomenon. In fact, he was quite familiar with it after having dealt with Jean and the Phoenix Force.

Scott's situation was just too similar to be a coincidence. There had to be something more to it…But what?

"What is going on here?" he pondered aloud to himself as he reached into his desk and pulled out a book given to him by Thor of the Ultimates on ancient mythology, "First the Phoenix, now this? What does it mean? And why Scott? I wonder…"

* * *

Back in Scott's room, he and Jean were sitting silently on his bed. As tired as he was, Scott couldn't just go back to sleep as if nothing had happened. He couldn't hide how much his nightmare had affected him even though he had been trying quite hard over the past few weeks. But as Jean well knew, he wasn't having much success.

"Scott…Are we even going to talk about it?" asked Jean, scooting in closer to her boyfriend, trying to lend what comfort she could.

Scott just let out a dry laugh.

"Funny, didn't we have this same conversation a few months ago after that whole helicopter incident?"

"Scott! I'm being serious here!" shot Jean in response, frustrated by Scott's continued stubbornness, "You think I don't understand what's going on here? You think that after what I lived through with the Phoenix, I don't know what it's like?"

Scott didn't argue any further, for he didn't have the strength at this point.

"Scott…I'm really worried about you," she continued, her voice shifting to a more compassionate and affectionate tone, "This is really starting to scare me. I started having dreams like this and look what it led to."

"Yeah, I know. I remember. But this isn't the same."

"Is it, Scott?" she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him closer to her warmth, "Then let me prove it…In that dream, you were scared. Deny it all you want, but you were really scared about what was happening to you. You felt all this power…All this strength. It was as if you could do anything you wanted and you had absolutely no control. But that's not what was scary…What really made it hurt was that you liked it. As scary as it was, a part of you liked it…Maybe a little too much."

This caused Scott to reconsider Jean's words as he turned to face her. As much as he wanted to believe that this was something totally unrelated, the look in her eyes said otherwise. She hadn't even been inside his mind like the Professor had and she probably understood the dream more than he did.

The look on his face shifted as he pulled his girlfriend into a tight embrace, simply wanting something to hold onto. He may not have been one to show a great deal of emotion, but around Jean he was not afraid to let it out. And especially during times like this, he needed her now more than ever.

"It felt good, Jean. As much as I hate to admit it, it felt really good to just…Lose control," he found himself saying, the images of the dream once again flashing in his mind.

"I know. It really does mess with you, doesn't it? It's terrifying and joyous at the same time."

"Yeah, and I think that alone was scarier than the voice that was calling out to me," said Scott, the sound of that booming tone still echoing through his mind.

A heavy silence fell over the young couple as they found themselves simply sitting on his bed, remaining in their strong embrace. Neither of them wanted to let go, as if it were their last grip on sanity. Jean could feel the anxiety, frustration, and fear pouring off of him in waves. He was trying to suppress it, but that voice just kept ringing in his head.

His thoughts were never this chaotic before. Jean knew Scott better than anybody and he probably had the more focused, organized mind in the whole mansion. But to sense all this inner turmoil was just heart wrenching for the young redhead who had already dealt with enough struggle and strife after all the toil she had experienced with the Phoenix. She didn't want him of all people to go through the same mess that she had dealt with. He had suffered enough over the years. But whatever this thing was, it seemed hell bent on pushing Scott to his limits.

"What do you think that voice was?" said Jean, finally breaking the silence as she looked back up at her distraught boyfriend.

"Can't say for certain…" muttered Scott in a frustrated tone, "But whatever it was, it felt as though it knew me or something."

"Knew you?"

"Yeah, but the strange thing was…It felt like I knew it as well. I know it sounds weird, but…"

"Scott, believe me…It's not. At least to me it isn't. I remember feeling the same way whenever I had my…Episodes."

"And that's part of what's bugging me, Jean," said Scott, once again feeling dazed under the strain of his own mind, "I mean, first you have this…Thing with the Phoenix. And now something that feels remarkably similar is happening to me. I'm not even telepathic for crying out loud and it's happening to me! And I don't know why!"

"Yeah, I know how you feel," said Jean, gently runner her hand along his chest in an effort to sooth away some of his anxiety, "You feel like the unluckiest human being on the face of the planet. You feel as though nobody understands and you're all alone in the world. You don't know why it's happening, you don't know what it means, and no matter how hard you try, you just can't deal with it."

Upon hearing that, Scott actually cracked a smile…A gesture that surprised even him to a great extent since he had so little to smile about these past few weeks. But he actually managed to take a great deal of comfort in Jean's words, for it reminded him that he wasn't alone. The Professor may have been oblivious and the rest of the team may have turned a blind eye towards him, but Jean truly understood him…Making him feel all the more grateful that he had her in his life.

"Yet you still learned to manage it," he said, causing Jean to smile back.

"To some extent…Yeah, I do. But it's still a struggle…Knowing that I have this 'thing' inside me that I can't escape."

"So how do you do it?"

"By taking it one day at a time…" she said, resting her head on his shoulder, savoring the warmth of his strong body, "In working with the Professor, I've learned to take each moment as it comes. I know this power is strong, but I have to believe that I'm stronger. It has gotten better, but still…It's something I know I have to deal with."

Another silence fell over the two as they stayed in an embrace. Soon, they found themselves laying back on Scott's bed with Jean now resting her body atop his and letting him hold her in his arms so he could still grasp that small piece of sanity that she knew was so important to him.

"Don't worry, babe. You'll beat this, I know you will," she said as she snuggled up against him.

"I don't know, Jean. I'm not even sure what it is these dreams mean," he said, his hands now gently resting on her lower back.

"Hey, whatever this thing is, I have faith that you'll beat it. If I can do it, so can you."

That earned her another smile. Looking back down at her, he felt some of the tension ease and he actually began to relax once more. Jean's words really did seem to go a long way for him…More so than even she had expected. They were both still hoping that whatever this was, it was nothing like the Phoenix. But for now, they simply took comfort in one another's presence, hoping that whatever it was that was tormenting him, they would overcome it.

"Thanks Jean," he said softly.

"Hey, just doing what any good girlfriend should for her boyfriend."

"I love you."

"I know…I love you too. And like you once said, I'll always be here for you."

"And so will I…"

The young couple then met in a deep kiss…One that seemed to have a calming effect on the both of them. Here they were, both haunted by some strange, malevolent voice that was haunting their dreams night after night, but at least they still had something to draw strength from. It was still unclear what it was they were up against, but hopefully their answers would come in due time. For now, they just wanted to rest.

"You want me to stay here with you for the night?" asked Jean as they parted from the kiss.

"Are you sure?" he asked, still the concerned boy scout even in times like this.

"Of course," she said, planting one last reassuring kiss on his cheek before resting her head on his chest, "Like I said, you're going to get some sleep if it kills me."

And without another word, the young couple began to nod off together, not knowing where these strange dreams would lead them, but remaining hopeful that whatever it was, they would face it together.

* * *

Miles away in the grim and gritty inner city of New York, there stood a cheap looking hotel that had clearly seen better days. It was run down, dirty, and in a not so friendly neighborhood where the sound of gunshots echoing through the night was not unusual. It was cloudy and dreary outside for the most part and on the inside, it was relatively quiet with most of the hotel guests fast asleep.

In one of the rooms on the third floor, however, there remained one such soul who had no inclination or desire to sleep. He was in one of the nicer rooms…Well, at least as 'nice' as they could get in a place like this. There were two twin beds, a private bathroom, and a window that looked out over the street below. In those two beds, however, there were four fully nude women, hookers to be precise. They were all fairly attractive and looked somewhat higher priced than casual street whores, but they were all fast asleep, looking as thought had been completely worn out by another hard night's work.

Sitting on the foot of one of the beds was a lone man wearing nothing but a pair of white boxer shorts. He bore medium length blonde hair that seemed a bit messy, had a fairly strong, muscular physique, and bore a pair of ominous eyes that seemed to tell the story of countless tragedies. But what seem to stand out most for this man were the mysterious marks her had on his hands and face. On the top of each hand, there were a couple of elaborate looking symbols that seemed to be a vast blend of oriental and Latin origin and over hisleft eye was a mysterious symbol that seemed to convey a sense of omnipresence…As if there it could see more than the average mortal eye.

He was Jack Robinson, also known as Slayer. He was a mutant, a warrior, and mystic, but there were few people that were even aware of his existence. He lived a life of isolation, forever confined to the shadows. He was a strong fighter who remained dedicated to a cause…A principle…A single underlying truth that bound him to his duty. Unlike most champions of light, he didn't give damn about things like justice, punishment, or revenge. Hell, he didn't even give a shit if he made the world a better place. No, he fought for something much greater than that. He fought for honor.

As he sat on the bed, he casually swirled a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand, periodically taking a few sips every now and then. It was just one of those moments for him where he needed a release, for as a guy who was constantly tortured by his past, it was the only way he could stay sane at times. And usually, this release came in the form of liquor or hours upon hours spent with hookers.

His demeanor was solemn, his expression was emotionless, and his soul was heavy with a thousand burdens. Looking back at the four sleeping women in the beds, he let out a deep sigh as he got up and left the money he owed them for their services on the stand. He hadn't slept in days, but he didn't seem tired in the slightest. If anything, the mere thought of sleep was enough to keep him awake like a gallon of caffeine. No, sleep was the last thing on his mind, for he had work to do.

"Well…Guess its back to the shadows," he said to himself as he took one last sip of his drink and prepared to gather up his things.

Then suddenly, the mark over his eye began to glow a bright red and he let out a pained groan. The half filled bottle of liquor then fell to the carpeted floor, spilling out the rest of the contents while the young man began to inexplicably stumble, as if something was knocking him off balance from within.

"Ugh! What the…"

Then he saw it. Right before his all seeing eye, he saw it. Almost immediately, he managed to regain his balance as the look on his face turned to one of shock and horror. He couldn't believe it. Was what he just saw even possible? No, it couldn't be. No force on the world could…Unless there was something more to it.

Then, he got another quick vision…This time of a place entirely different than before. It resembled a rather large mansion with a rather mysterious, yet very important young man inside. And as soon as his penetrating gaze fell upon him, the mark on his eye flashed again…This time a bright color of gold.

Finally it hit him. He knew what he had to do. What he had seen was unmistakable. It was clear as night and day. And with this new vision as his guide, a look of determination formed upon his young face, for once again it seemed as though the forces of darkness were making their move.

"I can't believe it. After all this time, it's finally here. Horus, the son of light, is finally beginning to manifest. And in Westchester no doubt…Oh well, looks like I've got a job to do. Next stop…The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters."

* * *

AN: It has begun! The seeds have been sewn for yet another vast conflict that's sure to lead to plenty of action! With Scott's dreams and Slayer's vision, you can rest assure that some major complications are brewing! Neither the Professor, nor Scott and Jean for that matter have a clue what's going on. But they'll know soon enough as will the rest of the team! So what do you all think of the first chapter of my story? It's my first Ultimate fic and I really would like to get some feedback! Please send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Either way is fine as long as you REVIEW! Thanks a ton for reading everybody and I wish each and every one of you the best!

THERE'S PLENTY MORE TO COME FOLKS! REVIEW AND YE SHALL FIND OUT MORE!


	2. Morning Confusion

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 2: Morning Confusion**

****

* * *

Jean stayed with Scott through the night, lending what support she could as he remained restless, exhausted, and utterly confused. Eventually, he did manage to fall asleep, but it was still a very troubled rest for the X-leader, who was growing increasingly weary as to where these dreams were leading him.

As the morning sun arose over the Xavier Institute, things went pretty much as they usually did with the residents waking up and gathering downstairs for breakfast. Scott, however, did not wake up as he usually did and continued to sleep well into the morning. Jean was somewhat relieved to see this and eventually managed to slip out of his firm grip in order to make her leave, but not before giving him one last reassuring kiss on the forehead.

'Rest up, babe…' she sent him via telepathy as she stretched her arms in the morning sun before going through her regular morning routine.

Down in the kitchen where breakfast was being served, things were pretty much as lively as they usually were with the exception of the Professor and Scott not being present. But this didn't seem to bother too many of them, even those who had been up to see Scott's little 'episode' last night. For Jean it was sort of frustrating to see their lack of concern, but she set that aside as she grabbed a box of fruit loops and poured herself a bowl.

"You look like shit this morning, Jean," commented Ali, who was sitting next to Warren and sharing a box of Cocoa Puffs, "What's the matter? Wake up floating in mid air again?"

Jean just shot the punk rocker an annoyed look. For a girl on probation, she sure knew how to press her buttons.

"Not now, Ali. I had a rough night," she groaned as she sat down at the table next to Kitty.

"It happened again, didn't it?" said Kitty, casting her friend a worried look.

"What? You mean Scott's nightmares?" said Ororo, who was sitting next to the ever reserved Logan, a habit she had been developing rather precariously lately.

"What gave it away?" she muttered as she took a few bites of her cereal.

"Easy…Only shades can make ya this moody so early in the morning," commented Logan, earning him a scorn from Jean.

"Shut up, Logan! Just because your back doesn't mean I want to put up with your bullshit again! Just leave me alone."

Logan was tempted to make another statement, but a quick glance from Ororo helped restrain him. Jean hated his guts enough and was probably the least thrilled to hear of his return. After having been used by him during the whole Magneto mess and after he tried to kill Scott just to get with her, she had very little admiration for the former living weapon.

Nobody said another word to Jean as she focused on her cereal after that, prompting everybody to focus more on their own affairs. Although that didn't stop some of the others from worrying.

"Are you going to be okay, Jean?" asked Kitty, still worried about her friend.

"Don't worry Kitty. I'll manage."

"But vhat about, Scott?" inquired Kurt, who had been there last night to see what had transpired concerning their friend and leader, "How's he holding up?"

"Not much better I'm afraid," she muttered, not sounding too optimistic about it.

"Yeah, like that's a step up," said Bobby, rolling his eyes as he used his ice powers to make some ice for his water, "I take it he's still going to be the same grouchy drill sergeant during today's danger room session and…"

Then suddenly, just before Bobby could finish he was cut off by the last voice he probably would have wanted to hear at that moment.

"Hey, good morning to you too, Iceman," said Scott as he stepped into the kitchen, still looking quite restless after his rather tumultuous night.

Bobby immediately shut his mouth, prompting a rather humored glance from Kitty, which he tried to ignore. It was bad enough things had fallen apart between them, but after she started seeing Spiderman, he had been a little bitter to say the least.

"Ah, he finally awakens," said Piotr as he handed his friend a bowl from the cabinet, "Did you manage to get any sleep, comrade?"

"About as much as I could muster," he replied in a somewhat monotone voice.

"Well ya look terrible, so it must not have been enough," made Logan as he bit into some freshly made sausage.

"You should talk, Logan. You're practically a poster child for insomnia," muttered Scott as he took a seat next to Jean and began rubbing his still sore temples.

"Hey, I've got healing powers. You don't."

"Yeah, and it shows," said Warren, having never seen Scott this restless in all the time he had been at the institute.

Scott let out a deep groan as he rested his head on his arms, still feeling the effects of several weeks of sleeplessness. He was glad to have gotten some last night thanks to Jean, but it hardly made up for all the rest he had lost. In addition, his mind had still been very preoccupied with that nightmare and even as he walked around wide awake, he couldn't shake the anxious feelings that he felt from it.

"Maybe you should sit today's Danger Room session out, babe," said Jean, putting her hand atop his, "It doesn't look like you're in any condition to handle the stress."

"No, it's okay, Jean…Really," he said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze in response, "Besides, maybe tearing through a few sentinels will be good for me."

"Hey, it works for me," shrugged Logan as he used his claws to pick up the last remaining pieces of sausage.

Jean wasn't all that fond of seeing her boyfriend put himself through this. It was bad enough for him that he wasn't getting any rest and he was just so stubborn at times that it was hard to get him to think of his own well being. Then again, that probably shouldn't have surprised anybody because if there was one thing they knew about Scott Summers, it's that he tended to put the team before himself…Even if it did drive him crazy at times.

"But seriously, dude…You should watch yourself," said Bobby, "A lack of sleep can really drive people crazy. Remember that episode of the Simpsons?"

"God Bobby! Do you have to relate EVERYTHING to cartoons or movies?" said Kitty, rolling her eyes at her former love interest's immaturity.

"Hey, it's no different then centering your life around some stupid wall crawler!"

"Shut up! He's not stupid you…"

"Guys please!" said Scott, cutting them off before things devolved any further, "My head is killing me enough as it is! Could you argue about this later?"

Both Bobby and Kitty shot each other one last snide look, causing much of the table to roll their eyes, for this spectacle was becoming increasingly common ever since Kitty hooked up with that Spiderman guy they helped a while back. It was clear to anybody with eyes that Bobby was noticeably jealous…But part of that may have been because he was still hung up on Rogue. But for whatever reason, these little escapades were getting pretty annoying and they had enough to deal with already.

"You think those two are ever going to just shut up and make out already?" muttered Ali.

"I don't know. But I sure hope so," said Ororo as she finished up the last of her cereal, "It's starting to even give me a headache."

* * *

Later that day, the team suited up for a scheduled Danger Room session and despite some further coaxing from Jean, Scott was there to lead. The Professor also finally made his appearance after having spent the morning in his study. It looked as though he hadn't slept much either, but nobody commented on it as they focused on getting through the task at hand.

"Are you sure we can't help out, Professor?" asked Warren, who was up in the observation deck with Xavier along with Ali.

"You two are still on probation last time I checked, so yes I'm sure," stated the Professor as he brought up the program for the day.

"Man, what a jip," muttered Ali as she casually leaned up against the console, looking indifferent to it all, "We try to do the right thing and what do we get? Probation!"

"Helping a wanted criminal escape is hardly the right thing last time I checked," quipped the Professor in response, "And as I recall, I specifically forbade it."

"Yeah, yeah…I know. But what if, like, we're attacked again like that whole Weapon X shit? Would we still be on probation then?"

"Let's just take things as they come, Dazzler," said the Professor, sounding as though he wasn't in the mood to have this argument again.

Finally, as the program was finally primed to begin, Xavier watched as the team entered into the main arena down below. Scott was there as well, which greatly concerned him after what happened last night, but he could sense no abnormalities other than restlessness and he seemed very much bent on tearing apart a few sentinels to let out his frustration.

"Alright X-men! Line up and get ready," said the Professor into the microphone as the high tech machinery of the danger room began to hum with activity.

"What are our objectives, Professor?" asked Scott as he prepped his visor for what was sure to be some heavy use.

"It's the senior level Sentinel program, level 5," he explained as he brought up a the stat readouts, "You will be placed in the middle of Manhattan during a full scale sentinel attack, but be careful this time because your score is affected by collateral damage."

"So I guess that means keeping it to a minimum?" asked Jean.

"Precisely, now you will also have a time limit, so stay sharp team. And good luck."

As the scenario began to load, the X-men prepared the session. After the whole Washington incident where Beast was killed in the line of fire, they had been running a lot of Sentinel programs. And after the whole fiasco with Longshot, they were also paying special attention to collateral damage.

"Okay guys, you know the drill," said Scott as the familiar city landscape of lower Manhattan formed around them, "Marvel Girl, Iceman, and Nightcrawler stick with me on the north end while Storm, Wolverine, Colussus, and Shadowcat take on the south side."

"Oh joy," commented Iceman, "At least we get a view of Lady Liberty from our end."

"Shut up, Bobby," groaned Kitty.

Scott just rolled his eyes. He had enough frustration to deal with at the moment without having these two at each others' throats. Then again, that's what he hoped to help alleviate once they all had some giant robots to tear into.

"I can see why you split those two up, mien friend," made Kurt under his breath.

"If they can't be mature around one another, then they can't work with one another."

"Well as long as they don't argue in mid battle, that's fine with me," shrugged Jean as she prepared her mind for combat.

Then, as the final structures of the scene finished loading, the Sentinels appeared out of the holographic sky. There were a few mock screams of panic all throughout the streets, but this was solely to give a sense of realism and the team of young mutants prepared to commence the program.

"Okay X-men! Let's move!" ordered Scott as the team split up and began taking on the giant robot humanoids.

There were nearly a dozen Sentinels in all, half on each end of the street. They were running a standard confinement and termination program from the looks of it, a tactic the team was quite familiar with as they put their powers to the test and tore into the pack of killer robots.

"Mutant's identified. Objective: Destroy."

"Seriously, guys…Whoever designed these things needs a visit from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," commented Bobby as he used his ice powers to form a large slide that put him at around chest level with the robots so he could hit them with barrages of icicles.

"Iceman, focus! Sentinels now…Witty banter later!" yelled Scott through the melee as he unleashed a series of powerful optic blasts that disabled one Sentinel while knocking another off balance momentarily.

"Sheesh! Just trying to lighten the mood a bit," said Bobby as he used his powers to freeze some of the weapons systems that were build right into the giant hand of the robot humanoids.

"More like trying to imitate a witty wall-crawler," commented Jean with a slight grin as she took to the air in a halo of fire, using her telekinetic powers to slam a couple of Sentinels together in order to knock them off balance.

"And doing so rather poorly I might add," said Kurt as he used his teleportation powers to handle the civilians.

On the other end, things seemed to be going just as well with Ororo using her weather manipulation powers to kick up a large cyclonic wind to disorient the massive mutant killing machines while Wolverine and Colossus took care of things below hurling cars, punching through metal, and tearing out robot entrails in a plethora of sparks and miniature explosions.

"Get ready you two! I'm going to try to short circuit them with a few lightning bursts, so keep your distance!" said Ororo from the air as she avoided several blasts from the heavily armed Sentinels.

"Just try not to shock us, Ro! Both Petey and I are still part metal last time I checked!" growled Logan as he managed to bring one of the Sentinels down by disemboweling its head with his claws.

"Which is why I ask that you keep your distance!"

Taking a brief moment to help Kitty out with the civilians, Logan and Peter scrambled in order to give the windrider a clear shot. And once they were a safe distance, she unleashed a barrage of lighting upon four of the remaining sentinels.

"That a girl, Storm!" said Kitty as she phased a few civilian holograms through some walls in order to get to them to safety, "Keep those explosions coming!"

"WHAT?" she yelled over the noise.

"I said…Oh never mind!" she said as she converged with Wolverine and Colossus in the main street again.

"I think Spiderman is starting to rub off on her, don't you?" commented the Russian Colossus as they prepared for what they hoped would be her final assault.

"Yeah…Just peachy," muttered Wolverine, who wasn't exactly a big fan of Spidy after a few of their encounters.

Up in the observation deck, the Professor seemed quite pleased with the stats he was getting. The team was definitely showing some signs of improvement and at this rate they would be ready for the next level in no time. Both Warren and Alison seemed to have lost interest in what was going on below, but it was almost over so they didn't count on having to wait much longer.

Then suddenly, things began to take a sudden shift down on Scott's end.

"Okay guys! Just three more!" he reported as he dodged another quick blast from one of the sentinels, "Let's draw them in close and take them all down with one assault!"

"Sounds like a plan, Herr Cyclops," said Kurt as he appeared with a 'bamf' in front of Scott to draw the fire of the raging Sentinel robots.

"Right! I'll be right down," said Jean as she made a quick sweep over the heads of the three remaining robots, "Just give me a second to…"

But before she could finish her sentence, the young psychic was hit by a heavy pulse ray that sent her falling from the sky down towards the hard pavement below.

"JEAN!" yelled Scott, quickly abandoned his position behind a car and leapt out to catch his girlfriend in his arms.

"Yo Cyclops!" yelled Bobby as he joined up with Kurt, "Is she…WHAO MAMMA!"

But before he could finish as well, one of the cars they were taking cover behind was hit and they were both knocked back by the force of the explosion. Scott quickly picked up on this as he held a groaning, yet still conscious Jean in his arms.

"Oh shit…" he cursed as he ran for cover towards the center of the street.

This sudden breakdown didn't go unnoticed by the others on the south end. The sound of the explosion had momentarily diverted Ororo's attention, who was still hovering high in the sky…Which was probably not the best thing to do in a situation like this.

"Cyclops, are you all…AHHHHH!"

Now Ororo was hit as well, causing Logan to spring into action as he leapt off of one of the Sentinel's he had been trying to disable and rushed to her aid.

"I got ya, Ro!" he yelled as he somersaulted through the air and caught her before she hit the ground.

He then tried to get her some cover as well, but apparently the sentinel he had been trying to destroy wasn't quite out of the fight yet.

"Logan! Watch out for the…" began Colossus, but unfortunately his warning came too late.

One of the Sentinels had launched a grenade towards their position and Logan hadn't been fast enough get out of the way. So naturally…He turned his back and bore the blunt end of the explosion, which sent him flying against the wall of a nearby building as the three remaining sentinels closed in.

"Oh boy…This is not good!" said Kitty as she ran over to Logan and Ororo's aid.

"Get them back, Katya!" yelled Colossus as he began hurling cars at the oncoming Sentinels, "I cannot hold them off on my own!"

It was all starting to fall apart. The team was getting boxed in again near the center of the street. Jean and Ororo were slow to recover, so they didn't have any air support and Bobby was still wobbly so they couldn't take the high road either. Scott kept trying to frantically hold them back with a barrage of optic blast, growing increasingly frustrated by their stiff resistance.

"Come on team! Hold your ground!" he yelled, losing more and more control over the chaos, "Stay together!"

"Cyclops! We need to regroup!" yelled Colossus as the gap between them continued to narrow.

"There's no time!" exclaimed the X-leader, keeping his eye on his watch which told the amount of time they had left.

"Then we'll have to…Erahhh!"

This time, Colossus was hit, his momentary distraction giving the mutant killing machines all the time they needed to get of a single lucky shot that hit him right in his metal covered head.

Now the team was really in bad shape and Scott knew it. Looking around, he saw that everybody was slow to get up and their chance for a counterattack was quickly dwindling. Up in the observation deck, the Professor was growing increasingly worried. Even Alison and Warren were showing some renewed interests. He was about to initiate some of the safety measures…When suddenly, one of the readouts began showing signs of some very unusual activity.

"What the…" he began, but before he could make sense of it, his attention was drawn back to the scene below.

Scott was trying to hold them all off on his own, but they just kept coming. He carefully set Jean down behind a car and tried to get a few good shots off, but it was no use. They wouldn't stop coming. They were locking them in their sights.

"Mutant identified. Objective: destroy."

The six robots from both sides looked poised for a single, devastating attack. At this rate, the safety measures would kick in, but in the ever frustrated and anxious mind of Scott Summers that wasn't soon enough. Then suddenly, he found himself overcome with a familiar burning feeling that suddenly consumed him from within.

"Oh no…" gasped the Professor, his tone wrought with dread as the computer began showing him unreal readings.

"Uh, Professor? What the hell is going on with Scott?" said Warren wearily as he looked back down at the scene below.

Scott was now clutching his head and his whole body was beginning to glow a reddish reddish, fiery color. He was yelling out in pain, as if something was attacking him from within. The others saw this as well and were almost mesmerized by it. For a moment, nobody was sure what to do, but as soon as Jean came to and saw what was happening, she yelled out to the others as she took cover.

"EVERYBODY DOWN!"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" yelled Bobby as he and Kitty leapt behind an alley along with Logan and Ororo while Kurt and Colossus joined Jean behind a cluster of cars.

Then finally…It happened. Scott's glowing body suddenly 'exploded' with what looked to be an eruption like blast of bright ruby red energy that was also mixed with bright yellow fire. And all of the sudden, his ruby quartz visor exploded and shattered with a bang as his eyes began to glow brightly and a new force seemed to consume him down to his very soul.

"**Pitiful creatures!" **he bellowed in a voice that sounded nothing like that of the Scott Summers they knew, **"Feel the wrath of the power of the cosmos!"**

Everybody stayed low as the glowing body of Scott Summers raised his hands, levitated into the air, and let out a massive bolt of energy that resembled the swish of a sword. It sliced through the last six Sentinels like a hot knife through butter, turning them into mere scrap metal with a single blinding burst of raw power. It was so bright that even the Professor, Warren, and Alison were forced to cover their eyes up in the observation deck and as soon as it faded, the body and mind of the Scott Summers seemed completely overcome by whatever this thing was.

"**Heed my words, mortals! I am the universal force of destruction! I am the son of light! I AM HORUS!"**

'Scott!' sent the Professor through a powerful telepathic probe, 'Wake up, Scott! Come back to us!'

The sudden burst of psychic energy caused the hovering Scott Summers to falter a bit as he clenched his head in agony, letting out pained screams that echoed all throughout the room.

"NO! I…AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Another bright burst of energy erupted from his fiery body, causing the others to once again take cover. But once it faded, the force that had consumed Scott Summers retreated along with it and he fell limply to the ground.

"Easy babe…I've got you," said Jean as she used her telekinetic powers to catch him in mid air and gently lower him to the ground.

Once all was said and done, the whole scenario faded and the true extent of the damage that had been caused became clear for all to see.

"Dude…" gasped Kitty as she took in the sight of the mangled components that lay littered all over the floor like twisted scraps.

"Damn! What the hell was that!" grunted Logan as he rubbed his sore head from the impact he had suffered.

"I…I don't know," said Jean as she gazed anxiously down at her half conscious boyfriend, who was groaning as if he was still in pain.

She could hear his ragged breath, she could feel the weakness in his body, and she could sense the confusion and anxiety surging through his mind. It was truly overwhelming. It left everybody dazed and uncertain as to what was going on. But for Jean, it was an all too familiar sight and what really scared her was that she really felt it.

"Is everybody okay?" said the Professor's voice from the intercom above.

"Depends on your definition of okay," muttered a still sore Bobby.

"We're fine Professor. But Scott…"

"I know…Just get him to the infirmary. I'll meet you there," he ordered as he began to wheel himself out of the observation deck, "The rest of you are dismissed."

"Wait!" said Ororo, not satisfied with just leaving a friend when he was in need, "Professor, I may not be a doctor of sorts, but…"

"I'm sorry, Ororo. But this is not up for discussion. Just leave it to me. I'll let you all know more when I find out more."

The Professor left no room for argument in his words as everybody looked back towards the weakened and half conscious Scott Summers. After what they had just seen, it was clear to them that this was serious and those nightmares that had been keeping their leader up at night were more than just bad dreams. But whatever they were, they left that little mystery in the hands of the Professor.

* * *

Later on in the infirmary, Scott was finally resting comfortably on one of the beds. Both Jean and the Professor had been running test after test for the better part of the last three hours, but unfortunately they were no closer to any answers now than they were before. It was just so frustrating because what they had seen sounded like a true, conscious force…One that had taken over the body and mind of Scott Summers. They had no idea what it was, what it wanted, or why it was attacking Scott. And for Jean Grey, it was even harder because this was a road she had been down before.

"So what's the word, Professor?" said a noticeably tired Jean as she collapsed in a seat next to her boyfriend's bed.

"The blood work was…Inconclusive," sighed the Professor, giving her the charts to look over so she could see for herself.

"Figures," she said, not even bothering to give them a second glance.

"I don't understand it. We've done every kind of test and there's no medical reason why Scott should be in this state. The only thing I've managed to find is that his body seems be running on rather high levels of adrenaline, but that's probably just a reaction to whatever it was that attacked him."

Jean found herself at a loss as she took Scott's limp hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. She was almost in tears, feeling very much afraid for her boyfriend's well being. It was hard for the Professor to look at, but he was at just a much a loss as she was.

"I'm sorry Jean, but I honestly don't know what happened to him," he said, casting her a comforting glance, "The readings from the Danger Room scanners were just…Impossible. The only other time I ever managed to pick up such levels of raw power was when you were…"

"The Phoenix…Yeah, I know. Don't think I haven't forgotten that."

"Indeed…But it's not so much so that the energy readings were so high. It's more that they embodied similar energy signatures compared to the ones taken when you were in this same position."

It was a curious matter that the Professor was clearly intrigued by. It was the only real clue they had to go on…The experience with the Phoenix. Jean knew it as well, but she remained silent about it…Something that was certainly not lost on the Professor.

"Jean…Tell me. Did you feel or sense anything when it happened? Did you at all gain any kind of…"

"No Professor," she answered instinctively, "I didn't."

Xavier didn't look convinced and for good reason too. After all, Jean never was all that good at lying. There was clearly something that she wasn't telling him. And as she held Scott's hand, it was clear to him that it was rather serious. But still, he did not send out any psychic probes. Whatever was going through her mind, she kept it secret for a reason and he had to respect that even if it didn't sit well with him..

"Very well then, I'll leave him in your care for now," said the Professor as he turned to wheel himself out, "I'm going to return to my study to do a bit more research on this matter. If he wakes up, try to keep him in bed. It would probably be better that he remain in a relaxed state until we can find some answers."

"Will do, Professor," affirmed Jean, giving Scott's hand a gentle squeeze as she looked back down at his sleeping form, "And don't worry…He's in good hands."

Trusting her word, the Professor nodded as he turned and wheeled himself out. He was still a bit curious as to what Jean was keeping from him, but he would leave that matter for later. For now, he had some serious work to do. And unlike earlier, he had a name to go on…Horus.

While the Professor made his leave to learn more about this mysterious occurrence, Jean remained fixated on Scott. She kept reaching out to his mind with hers, sending him relaxing thoughts as he rested peacefully on the bed. In addition to her telepathy, she was reaching out to him with something else…Something deeper that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was making her heart rate jump and her hands tremble, but she kept holding onto her lover for strength. Scott needed her now more than ever and she sure as hell wasn't going to let him down.

"It's going to be okay, Scott. I promise you, my love…It's going to be okay."

However, such words would have been far more comforting if she believed them herself.

* * *

While the rest of the mansion was reeling from what happened with Scott, there were other mysterious forces at work outside the mansion. Only this time, it took the form of a mysterious figure that descended upon the institute grounds in a mysterious purple haze that seemed to have a mind of its own.

It was mid afternoon and the sun was hanging high in the sky and bathing the whole area in a thick light, yet the figure took no such comfort in the light as he appeared atop the main outer wall of the Xavier Institute and began surveying the land he would have to traverse if he was to achieve his objective.

"The Xavier Institute," the lone figure said aloud, "Not bad."

Once the fog had cleared, the face of Jack Robinson, the mutant warrior known as Slayer, was now clear for all to see. Only this time, he bore no street clothes of any kind. This time, he was decked out in full dark blue body armor that resembled that of a samurai. He also bore a large, decorated sword in an elaborate case on his back as well as a couple of katanas. His imposing form looked ready for combat of any kind and with what he could see before him, he had quite a challenge ahead of him.

"Of all the places such great power could manifest, it had to happen within these walls," he mused as the mark over his eye began to glow a bright yellow color, "Oh well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Guess it's going to have to be sooner."

He kept scanning the area, using his all seeing eye to zero in on his target. There was a lot to sift through and he tried to make a mental note of anything and anybody he saw. He noticed quite a few adversaries that could potentially stand in his way, but he wasn't too concerned about them. He had only one objective and once his all seeing eye found what he was looking for, he prepared to make his move.

"Ah, there you are. Scott Summers…Not a bad vessel. He's already in the final stages. But no matter, he'll know the true scale of what he's becoming soon enough. And I suppose that it's up to me to make sure he learns it right. Ready or not, Horus…Here comes Slayer."

* * *

AN: Oh boy, now it's starting to get a little tense! Now it seems as though the Phoenix isn't the only super powerful cosmic force to worry about. And it's manifesting in Scott Summers, no doubt. Coincidence? Well, you'll just have to wait and see! Now Slayer is poised to make his move! The complications are just beginning folks! Stay tuned to see where it's all leading! So what do you think so far? Want to read more? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish you all the best!

JUST A LITTLE BIT FURTHER! THERE! HIT THE BUTTON! REVIEW!


	3. Intruder

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 3: Intruder**

****

* * *

The layout of the Xavier Institute was an imposing sight as the mutant warrior known as Slayer stood poised to storm the area. Taking a quick glance at the position of the sun in the sky, he saw that his time was dwindling. The power that lay behind these walls was growing increasingly unstable and if he was to take the necessary precautions, then he was going to have to make his move and make it soon.

"Holographic camouflage, laser grid defense, and concealed weapons systems…Not bad for a school," commented Slayer as every single concealed system was revealed to his all seeing eye, "Guess Xavier made some upgrades after Weapon X. Oh well, time to put them too the test."

Then, with acrobatic skill that would have put circus performers to shame, Jack "Slayer" Robinson leapt into the air and landed on the soft ground with a thud. As soon as he felt the hard earth beneath his feet, he began his run towards the institute. He was to just destroy the holographic projectors that were obscuring his path, but he quickly decided against that since it would probably trigger an alarm.

And besides, he wasn't out to destroy anything here. He was just out to stop a great power from incinerating the world.

"First up…Holograms," grunted Slayer as the mark on his eye told him every fake structure there was and how to avoid it.

However, holograms were just projections. Now, laser grid systems on the other hand was another story.

"Now it gets interesting," mused Slayer, not even breaking a sweat with the holograms.

The unobscured image of the Xavier Institute lay before him as he leapt atop the inner wall. So far, nobody was aware of his intrusion. But before he took a step further, he decided to take a look inside in order to see just what he was up against.

Using his all seeing eye, he got a quick glimpse of the activity inside. From what he could make out, there were a few residents, namely Dazzler and Warren, plopped in front of the TV in a sweet little snuggle, a few watching the movie Pirates of the Caribbean on another set, namely Kurt, Bobby, and Piotr, a teenage girl named Kitty Pryde laying on her bed and talking on the phone with some guy she was calling Peter, and then there was Wolverine sitting in the kitchen with a beer talking to Ororo.

As for the Professor, he was in his study looking some old books, many of which seemed to be references to mythology. Slayer was mildly impressed that he picked up on this so fast. But no book in the world spoke of the kind of power that he was dealing with. Only his all seeing eye and his vast knowledge of the metaphysical could do that. He didn't want a direct confrontation just yet, but he knew that sooner or later he would have to deal with him.

Finally, he got a glimpse of what he had come here for…Or more accurately, who he had come here for.

"There you are," he said upon seeing the image of the unconscious Scott Summers lying in an infirmary in the lower levels with an anxious Jean Grey still by his side, "Well kid, I wish you weren't caught up on this, but as it is you're going to have to deal."

The mark on his eye stopped glowing as he prepared to make his run. Standing atop the inner stone wall that separated the main institute from the holographic buffer zone, Slayer took in the open field before him. Given that it was broad daylight and everyone was awake, the security was relaxed. That would make it easier for him since he wasn't too worried about facing anybody inside.

"Time to get moving," he said, taking a quick note of the time, "If I don't get this done now, someone MUCH worse is sure to take a stab at it soon enough."

With a few flawless mid air summersaults, Slayer leapt onto the secured ground of the institute estate, taking careful note of the placement of the cameras and laser sensors that were supposed to silently report any kind of activity. Using his all seeing eye to guide him, he ducked behind a few trees and leaped across the branches.

At times, he faced several cameras, but he managed to avoid them by snaking his way around the thick branches and avoiding the line of sight. There were few, if any, blind spots. However, he was able to exploit whatever weakness he could until he reached the vast open field that led up to the institute.

"So far so good. Now it's time for a little magic."

On the tops of his hands, the two elaborate symbols began to glow and his body was surrounded by a thick purple haze. Soon, his body was completely invisible to the naked eye. And hopefully, he would also be invisible to laser sensors as well as he traversed the well kempt lawns of the Xavier Institute.

Slayer stayed silent, sensing that certain parts of the surrounding area were bugged for sounds. But thanks to his warrior agility, the sensors remained oblivious to his presence. With leap after leap over the many sensors and careful maneuvering over patches of security, he drew closer to the walls of the mansion.

Until finally, he was at his destination.

"Whew! Some security," he said under his breath as he took a brief moment to regain his bearings, "Now it's time to get up close and personal."

Knowing it probably wasn't the smartest idea to go straight through the front door, Slayer opted for a window on the ground level. Not wanting to risk opening it, Slayer used the magic in his hands to turn himself into the mist that brought him here and seep through the cracks.

Once he was in, he quickly took cover up against a wall, knowing that he couldn't afford to be detected now.

'Okay Jack, here we go! Time to get to the infirmary! Now remember your training, stay silent, stay stealthy, don't confront anybody, and stop talking to yourself. You're a warrior damn it! So move like one!'

He was right near the kitchen where Logan and Ororo were currently sitting and casually chatting. Or more so, Ororo was doing most of the talking, giving him the full details about her old friend Yuriko and how she ended up on her list of people she wanted to disembowel. Hopefully, that would keep those heightened senses of his busy enough as the mutant warrior carefully slipped past the doorway.

He would have liked to stay invisible, but using magic had a tendency to drain him, so he decided to remain conservative in his usage. After all, if he had to face any of these kids, it would probably be better if he was at full strength.

'Man, glad I showered before this,' thought Slayer to himself as he carefully made his way down the hall towards the foyer, 'If the big bad Wolverine senses me, then things are probably going to get messy. At least that girl is keeping his attention.'

His next task was to make it through the living room where a number of the boys were gathered in front of the TV watching a movie. Piotr, Bobby, and Kurt were all decked out on the couch with popcorn, but Kurt was the one having all the fun while Bobby and Piotr were just there to hear him rant.

"God Kurt, can't we watch something else besides this?" groaned Bobby, "You've seen this movie a million times!"

"Indeed. And frankly, I think one is enough for a movie of this length," said Piotr, his eyes already drooping.

"Oh come on mein friends! Vhat's not to love about Pirates of the Caribbean? And besides, zhis is the special edition DVD zhat just came out! And you know vhat that means!"

"Extended scenes?" groaned Bobby.

"You guessed it!" proclaimed Kurt as he enthusiastically navigated the menu display for the options he wanted.

Piotr and Bobby let out another groan as they sank into the couch. It was a rather humorous sight that Slayer was tempted to laugh at, but at the moment he couldn't afford to be witty. He was still working on a time limitation here.

'Damn, and THIS is what humanity is afraid of?' thought Slayer as he carefully slipped past them by staying low and against the wall.

He was just about to enter the foyer, but he kept his eye on the three boys since they could still turn around at any minute and catch a glimpse of him. But over in the living room where another TV was set up, Dazzler and Warren were beginning to show signs of renewed activity.

"Jeez, do people really watch this shit?" groaned Ali as she sat snuggled up to Warren who was flipping through the channels, half of which were cheesy court room shows.

"They wouldn't put it on if people didn't," sighed Warren, finally settling on some reality show on MTV.

"This is a sick world," she groaned, "Man I sure could use a beer."

"Ali, you're underaged."

"Hasn't stopped me before pretty boy," she said with a naughty grin.

Warren couldn't help but smile. After having been sequestered in a restrictive, uptight environment all his life, it was kind of a relief to find somebody like Ali who just rebelled against everything and made him cut loose from traditional norms.

"So how bout it? Will you get me a beer?" she said, trying to sound sexy so as to further entice her winged boyfriend, "I'll make it worth your while."

"Easy Ali. I'll see what I can find," grinned Warren as he slipped out of her grasp and headed over towards the kitchen.

Ali had a feeling that he probably wouldn't return with a beer. But as she watched him leave, she shrugged to herself indifferently.

'Oh well,' she thought, 'He's still got a nice ass.'

As she returned to watching her show, Warren stretched out a bit as he entered the foyer. But as his luck would have it, he was entering just as Slayer was leaving the last corridor, his eye still on the three boys. And as soon as the young man caught a glimpse of the armor clad warrior, his internal alarm went off like crazy.

"What the…Who are you!" he demanded as he took a step back.

"Oh shit," groaned Slayer, already having a pretty good idea where this was going.

"Guys! We have an intruder!"

Then, much to the mutant warrior's dismay, Warren leapt back into the hall and hit one of the many alarm buttons that were littered all throughout the institute. And the second he struck it, a loud blaring noise sounded all throughout the institute for everybody to hear.

"Just my luck!" grunted the mutant warrior as he now stood in a sea of hostility, but remaining fairly calm despite this, "Guess it's just going to be one of those days."

"Get back!" yelled Warren, trying to sound tough, although he was clearly shuttering somewhat at the sight of the intruder, "I'm warning you!"

"Look kid, I don't want to fight," said Slayer, keeping a battle stance, but wanting to stay open to the use of words, "But I'm on a bit of a time crunch and if you won't let me through, then I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands."

Just then, Slayer was confronted from the other end of the hall from where he had just come from. Bobby, Piotr, Kurt, Logan, and Ororo all stood there in full force, ready to take him down.

"You've just made the biggest mistake of your life, bub!" growled Wolverine, his claws now drawn and ready to rip into that weird samurai armor of his.

"Yeah, prepare to be iced!" said Bobby, taking on his full Iceman form.

He was boxed in, trapped, and on their home turf…Not a good situation by any stretch of the imagination. But Slayer didn't look too worried or threatened. If anything, he was just annoyed.

"Look, is it at all possible that we could talk about this?" said Jack, who seriously didn't have the time for this.

"Oh we'll be talkin' bub! But you'll be screamin'!" yelled Wolverine as he lunged forth, brash and impulsive as always.

"Fine! Let's do this the hard way!"

Then, with speed and reflexes that were beyond human, Slayer whipped out his magic sword from behind and performed a super fast spin move that hit Logan's claws head on, knocked them out of the way, and left him open for a single devastating roundhouse kick to the face that sent him flying into the wall as if he were a paper bag.

"Whoa!" said Bobby, now having second thoughts about attacking this guy.

"I'm stronger than I look," said Jack, returning his magic sword to his case, "Now are we going to talk about this?"

"Fat chance!" yelled Storm as her eyes began to glow a bright blue and a surge of winds began to howl through the confined area, "X-men, attack!"

"Hoo boy…" muttered Slayer with an exasperated groan.

First things first, he had to avoid the miniature lighting strikes that Ororo was launching at him like darts at a dart board. That was difficult enough and some of them nearly grazed him, but thanks to his agility he avoided them only to be double teamed by Colossus and Iceman.

"You're not the only one with strength comrade," said an imposing Piotr Rasputin as he stood in his full metal form, his fist in a ball as he prepared to smash into this intruder before he could cause any more damage.

"I know," grunted Slayer as he was now under increasing pressure, "But can you also do this?"

Suddenly, Slayer used his magic to turn himself invisible, causing Ororo to momentarily halt her lightning assault.

"Hey! Where did he go?" asked Ororo, keeping her powers ready.

"I don't know," said Bobby, making the mistake of relaxing his guard somewhat, "You think he just ran away?"

But as soon as he said those words, Bobby felt himself suddenly lifted up off the ground by an unseen force, startling everybody back into their full alert mode.

"Hey! What the…"

"Time to go for a little ride, Iceman," said Slayer's voice as he held him by the arm and spun him around like a top, letting him go at the point where he would crash right into Nightcrawler.

"Mien Gott!" exclaimed Kurt, who didn't have time to react as he was hit with the force of a flying iceman.

Colossus and Ororo were scrambling to locate the invisible Slayer. They knew he was near, but they couldn't make out his location. But for the mutant warrior, this is exactly how he wanted it.

"Where are you?" yelled Colossus, keeping his guard up on all sides, "Show yourself!"

"No thanks. If I did, then how would I do this?"

Suddenly, the Russian Colossus was bombarded with a series of intense punches and kicks which landed along his torso and face. They were a lot harder than he had anticipated, more so than any normal human being could muster. And even though his metal form could resist it, he still felt it.

"Augh!" yelled Piotr as he felt the firm shot of a foot smash right across his face with unbridled force.

"Sorry to do this, comrade. But I'm out of time."

Then, a sudden flash of light shot out from Slayer's hand, casting a spell that caused Colossus to return to his non-metal form. Once he was in this vulnerable state, Slayer delivered a swift yet forceful blow that sent him tumbling to the ground in a dazed heap, making sure he didn't hurt him too much, but he still looked as though he was in serious need of a colossal dose of aspirin.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," said Slayer as he reformed into the realm of the visible.

"You!" yelled Ororo, her powers once again simmering, "You'll pay for that!"

"Lady, you've been hanging around Wolverine too much," made Slayer as the mark on his hands began to glow again, "See how you like my lightning!"

Then, before Ororo could get a shot off, Slayer's body was inundated with a purplish haze of electricity and from his fingertips a single paralyzing bolt arced through the air and struck the windrider with overwhelming force.

"Ahhhh!" she yelled as she felt the surge through her system.

Upon hearing that, Wolverine came to. Warren was by his side trying to help him up. With so little fighting experience, the winged mutant chose not to confront the skilled fighter. But Logan, on the other hand, was more than willing to take another shot at it.

"Wolverine…Are you okay?" said Warren as he managed to help him up.

"I'm fine!" he growled as he shook him off, "But this guy just signed his own death warrant!"

"You have no idea how ironic that is, Wolverine," grinned Slayer.

Not listening to his words, the former living weapon lunged forth and attacked the lone warrior. This time, instead of his main sword, Slayer used two katanas to combat Logan's claws. The feral mutant was not about to be beaten as easily this time as his claws clashed with Slayer's blades in a fast paced sword fight, the sound of colliding metal echoing through the foyer as two skilled combatants worked to overcome one another in a cinematic show of speed, strength, and agility.

* * *

While the fight was going on in the foyer, the sound of the alarms reached the infirmary where Jean was still resting by Scott's side. The sound of the loud, blaring noise sent her senses into a maelstrom. She wasn't sure whether it was a sentinel, Weapon X, or even the Ultimates, which was very much a possibility given their current relationship with them. But she didn't care who it was…Because whoever they were, she wasn't about to let them make things worse during this already difficult time.

"Oh no…Something's wrong," said Jean, sensing the distress of the others and even getting a few shots of pain, hinting that there was a fight going on upstairs, "And near as I can tell, we're getting our butts kicked."

Then suddenly, Jean noticed Scott stirring from his unconscious state. The sound of the alarm seemed to trigger his usual instincts when it came to security breaches. And despite his lingering injuries, he managed to force himself back to the world of consciousness.

"Jean…The others!" he said, shaking off his exhaustion as he now sat upright and ready to go.

"No, Scott. Stay here," she urged him as she got up, "You're in no condition to fight."

"Since when has that ever mattered?" grunted Scott, as he got off the bed, still a bit woozy but nonetheless coherent.

"Scott! I'm serious!" yelled Jean, growing increasingly irked.

"It's an intrusion Jean," grunted Scott with a serious look, "Would it really be any better for me to be in a bed?"

Now was definitely not the time to argue and Jean was in not mood. This was big and they all had to play a part in protecting their home. And besides, it was probably better that Scott remained where she could protect him rather than a sitting duck confined in an infirmary.

"Fine! I'll yell at you about this later," said an exasperated Jean, "Now come on! I think the others may need our help."

* * *

Back up in the foyer, the clash of metal between Slayer and Wolverine was quickly coming to ahead. Wolverine was almost in full berserker mode, but Slayer remained calm, collected, and utterly focused. And in the end, focus seemed to win out over rage.

"Errrrrr! Who sent you!" demanded Logan as he tried a double slash, only to be swatted away by a couple of super quick sword maneuvers.

"Believe me Logan…You wouldn't believe me if I told you," grunted Slayer.

Then, before the Wolverine could launch his next attack, the mutant warrior made his move and attacked with a mysterious maneuver that allowed him to move at speeds that made him look like a mere blur. Logan's acute senses tried to keep up with it, but his efforts proved futile as Slayer broke his blocking move and delivered a hard punch to the face along with a double jump kick that once again sent him flying.

"Well, that was fun," muttered Slayer as he put his katanas away and turned back towards the hall.

"It's not over yet!" yelled Kurt as he appeared in front of the young warrior's path in a puff of smoke, "You're not going ANYWHERE!"

"I beg to differ," said Slayer as his eye began to glow again, "But I'm in a hurry, so I'll make this quick!"

Not wanting to evoke another fight like the one he had with Logan, Slayer made the first move this time, lunging forth in a blur of superhuman speed and hitting the young blue skinned man with a triple punch combo capped off with an uppercut. And like Logan, Kurt was effectively taken out of the fight by the seemingly inhuman level of strength shown within the mysterious intruder. But that didn't stop others from trying.

"NO!" yelled Warren, who was through watching his friends get their butts kicked as he took to the air and flew towards the intruder in the style of a flying ram, "I'm not going to let you…"

"News flash rich boy…You started this fight. I'm just ending it."

Then, as Warren was nearing his target, Slayer performed another seemingly superhuman maneuver as he did a sudden back flip into the air, kicking Warren right in the face in the process and sending him tumbling to the ground in a twisted heap.

"Ugh…My jaw," he groaned as he lay beaten and sore on the floor.

"It'll heal. Now if you'll excuse me…"

But Slayer's luck just didn't seem to get any better as the racket finally seemed to rouse Dazzler from the other room. And much to her disliking, she arrived just in time to see her boyfriend get a receive kick to the face by some armor clad stranger who looked like something out of an Akira Kurosawa movie.

"Hey asshole! You're gonna seriously pay for that shit!" she yelled, the air around her sparkling in a maze of bright colors.

"Oh man…Do we really have to do this?" groaned Slayer, who was seriously pressing his time limit here.

"You asked for it! And if you wanna step up, you're gonna get knocked down!"

The venomous thunder of Drowning Pool's hard rock lyrics were converted into a maze of intense light bursts that were all being focused on one target…Slayer. However, the seemingly unstoppable warrior was still not fazed as his hands began to glow again and he retaliated in typical warrior fashion.

"You have good tastes, Alison…But sorry to say that it's still not enough."

Even though he knew that it was probably better to conserve magic, he was just in too great a hurry to care. So with one swift barrier spell, he created a miniature glowing dome around his body…One that didn't just block, but also reflected Dazzler's bursts right back at her. And because of these properties, it also effectively blinded her in the process, destroying any hope of dodging the barrage.

"Ahhhh shit!" she yelled as she struck with the sting of her own bursts.

"Sorry, kid. But I've got a job to do. And I'm not about to let ANYTHING stand in my way," said Slayer in a determined tone.

Just then, the elevator door to the lower levels opened down the halls and both Scott and Jean came rushing out into the foyer, quickly gasping at what they saw.

"What the…Who are you!" demanded Scott, his hands now on his visor, ready to blow away this intruder.

Upon hearing his voice, the mark on Slayer's eye glowed bright red and a surprised, yet intrigued expression fell upon his face. It looked as though he wasn't going to have to pursue his target after all.

"Scott Summers…Just the man I was looking for," he said, actually grinning at the sudden presence of the two powerful mutants, "Thanks for saving me the trip down to the lower levels. Now we can finally be on our way."

"Nobody's going anywhere pal!" yelled Jean, her body now glowing with the fire of the Phoenix Force, "Take one step closer and I'll make you regret it!"

The mark on Slayer's eye just kept glowing as he shifted his sights towards Jean Grey. Once again, a grin formed on his face as he saw the second piece of his enigmatic problem standing right there before him, looking ready to demolecularize him on the spot. But thankfully, he had prepared for something like this and wasn't at all worried.

"Marvel Girl…Or Phoenix, as you stand," commented Jack as he respectfully bowed to both youths, which only served to further confuse them, "It's an honor to stand in your presence. But I'm afraid that I don't have time to explain myself."

"Explain yourself? What's to explain? Who are you?" said Jean, trying to use her telepathy to get a few projections, but Jack's mind was a solid as a rock.

"Someone who's out to stop a terrible force from causing undue destruction," answered the mutant warrior cryptically, "And please bear that in mind while I do this…"

Suddenly, Jack's glowing hands once again sprang into action, this time shining a bright, fiery red. It was as if the area around his body was consumed by a plethora of strange fireworks and flames. And before either Scott or Jean could make sense of it, he unleashed a strange wave of mystical energy that struck Jean head on and caused her to let out a paralyzing screech.

"Errrrahhhhhhhhh!" she yelled, the fires of the Phoenix that were surrounding her looking adversely affected by the blast.

"JEAN!" yelled Scott in horror as he watched his girlfriend fall to the floor in an unconscious heap.

"It's okay, Scott. She'll be fine. Just gotta keep that Phoenix at bay for a bit," said the mutant warrior as he quickly adjusted his magic so as to deliver the final blow that would make his little mission complete, "Now look me in the eye…Look deeply into the eye that sees no lies. Look at it…Gaze at it…And sleep."

"Nnn…"

Suddenly, a feeling of intense dizziness and drowsiness fell over Scott Summers as his head began to spin and his eyes began to droop. A feeling of intense sleepiness came over him and all it took was a single glimpse into the mysterious all seeing eye of Jack "Slayer" Robinson. The X-leader tried to fight it, but eventually, he succumbed to the darkness.

"That's it, Scott. Rest up. You're going to need it," said Slayer as he caught the young teen before he collapsed.

With Scott's body now completely limp and Jean Grey knocked out, Jack had everything he needed. It hadn't gone as he had planned, but he still succeeded in the end. Now the easy part was over. From this point on, it was sure to get a bit more interesting.

"Sorry to leave so soon, guys. But rest assured…You haven't seen the last of me."

Then, just as he was about to make his leave, a sudden voice came from down the hall.

"STOP!" yelled the voice of Charles Xavier as he was phased from the second level to the first thanks to the efforts of Kitty Pryde, who was holding onto his chair from behind, "Who are you! And where are you going with my student!"

Turning back to face the Professor and his young associate, Slayer's expression remained relatively stoic, yet surprisingly unthreatening even though he had the limp form of Scott Summers hitched over his shoulder. It was sort of a given that breaking into the mansion uninvited would earn him a confrontation with the most powerful psychic in the world. But for Jack Robinson, such a threat was hardly comparable to what he was out to stop.

"You better start talking soon, buster!" threatened Kitty as she stood beside the Professor, "Otherwise you're going to find yourself in a nut house!"

Slayer almost laughed at such comments, but now was not the time to start laughing. Now was the time to start acting.

"Professor Charles Xavier…" he said, sounding almost amicable in his words, "I apologize for my abrupt intrusion, but I'm afraid I need your student. Something big has come up. And if I do not act fast than we could all be facing a very bleak future."

It wasn't exactly the response that the Professor had expected. In fact, it had been the opposite. This clearly wasn't some run of the mill kidnapping or attack. No, this was something very different.

"Something big? What are you talking about?" said Xavier, trying to use his powers to manipulate his mind, but the young warrior's shields were just too great even for him.

"Oh don't worry, Xavier. You'll all know soon enough."

Then, before another question could be asked, Jack Robinson's body was engulfed in a strange purple haze and in a puff of smoke…He was gone.

"Wait!" yelled Kitty, who tried to rush him, but was only met with a face full of smoke.

The air was now silent. The damage had been done. They had faced an intruder and lost. But this was no ordinary attacker. And as those who had been unlucky enough to fight this man came to, the mysterious nature of what they had just faced began to set in.

"Oh man…That sucked!" groaned Bobby as he sauntered back to his feet, deicing himself in the process.

"Speak for yourself, Iceman," said Warren as he helped Dazzler up while also rubbing his jaw, "I don't think I'll be able to eat solid foods for a week!"

"Is everybody okay?" said the Professor as he wheeled out into the center of the foyer as the rest of his students returned to their feet.

"Depends on your definition," grumbled Logan, still very angered over the ill fated fight with the mutant warrior, "Just who the hell was that prick!"

"I wish I knew. But I don't."

"Well did you manage to read his mind?" said Ororo as she leaned against the wall for support.

"I'm afraid I couldn't, Ororo."

"Couldn't?" said Kurt as he returned to his feet despite his still ringing head, "But I thought…"

"His mind was heavily shielded, Kurt…So shielded that even I couldn't penetrate it. But that's not what bothers me. What bothers me is that he didn't look as though he was here to fight."

"Well he sure had a nice way of showing THAT," groaned Bobby.

"I'm serious, Iceman!" said the Professor in a tone that left no room for argument, "There's more to this than meets the eye…That much I'm sure of."

"But…What about Cyclops?" said Warren as he let Dazzler lean on him for support.

Just then, a deep groan echoed from the seemingly unconscious form of Jean Grey, quickly drawing the attention of the whole team. Her body was still racked by the mysterious fires of the Phoenix, only this time they seemed…Different in a ways. It was as if they were more chaotic, more uncontrolled, and a lot weaker than before. She was obviously in a world of confusion…But she managed to summarize pretty much everything in a few simple words.

"He's gone!" she said, her voice brimming with a mixture of anger, confusion, and sorrow, "Scott's gone."

* * *

AN: Oh man, what a brawl! Like "Darkness and Light," the X-men tried and failed to subdue Slayer, but once again his intentions are a great enigma. What exactly was he looking to accomplish here? And why does it seem so deeply centered around Scott? These are both good questions, but rest assured they will be answered soon enough! So what do you think of my story so far? Are you enjoying it? Would you like to read more? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post it on the fanfiction website! Either way is fine as long as you REVIEW! Thanks for reading everybody and I wish each and every one of you the best!

READY TO SEE MORE ASS KICKING? REVIEW AND STAY TUNED!


	4. Contemplation and Awakening

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 4: Contemplation and Awakening**

****

* * *

In the aftermath of the intrusion by Slayer and the abduction of Scott Summers, the X-men needed time to regroup and recover. There were only minor injuries with the exception of their pride, but that could be mended later. Scott was missing and was now captive by some mysterious stranger. His reasons for doing so were still unknown, but Professor Charles Xavier was doing what he could to get some answers.

With Jean now resting from the ordeal and the rest of the team suiting up, the Professor spent the next several hours with Cerebro trying to search for any traces of the mutant warrior or their missing leader. But as he had expected, Slayer had covered his tracks very well.

So instead, the Professor was trying a few 'friendly' contacts. But so far that wasn't much help either.

"A guy in a samurai costume firing off magic mojo and speaking in riddles? Honestly Xavier, I think that big brain of yours is starting to fly south," saidGeneral Nick Fury of SHIELD, who was speaking through Cerebro's communications hub via direct video feed.

"General, why would I make this up?" said the Professor, growing more frustrated, "One of my students was abducted! And under our own roof, no less! Say what you will about my character, but I know what I saw and so do my students."

Nick Fury didn't look swayed by the Professor's impassioned words. If anything, he looked outright annoyed. Xavier was not his favorite person in the world to say the least and their history was rocky at best. So naturally, he didn't take this matter all that seriously.

"Look Xavier, I've got my own problems here at SHIELD, but I can assure you that if there was some guy running around like a prop from an anime convention, we'd know about it. And to my knowledge, no database has a record of anyone even close to that description."

"I feared as much," sighed Xavier, "But is it possible to get some assistance? Perhaps Thor would know something about this matter since it pertains to the mystical."

"Professor, as much as I'd like to help, we're a little busy here trying to deal with terrorist, aliens, and mutant uprisings all over the world. We're overextended as it is. And last I checked Thor was busy somewhere with the Fantastic Four."

"But one of my students is missing!" he reiterated in a strong tone, "Does that not warrant any kind of suspicion?"

"Officially…No. But unofficially, I'll have a little chat with Thor when he gets back. Maybe he'll know something, but I doubt it. Until then, you're on your own Xavier."

That was the exact opposite of what he wanted to hear. Scott was missing and in the possession of a warrior who had beaten them all. That didn't leave them at any sort of advantage and without the help of SHIELD or the Ultimates his team would be left handicapped.

"Very well, General Fury. I understand," said the Professor in low tone.

"Good. Then this teleconference is over."

The large projection screens of Cerebro powered down as the link was cut. A heavy feeling of defeat fell over the wheel chair bound man as he rolled himself out, meeting up with Logan who was waiting right outside.

"I take it he didn't listen," he said with a grunt as he walked alongside the Professor.

"No. And I can't say I blame him. Like it or not, what we encountered was anything but ordinary and you know as well as I do that such matters aren't Fury's specialty."

"In laymen's terms, we're shit outta luck," summarized Logan.

"In a matter of speaking, yes," conceded the Professor, "But what about the others? How have they been holding up?"

"With the exception of Jeannie, not too bad. No major bruises, no heavy injuries, not even a broken bone. Just some major soreness and a bunch of mortally wounded egos."

"That's good to hear, I suppose," said Xavier as they entered the hanger area, "But I'm afraid it doesn't lend any answers. Although it does pose a few interesting questions."

The whole team was suited up for combat and clamored around the Professor, expecting to have a location and a name of who this guy was and where he was keeping their friend.

"So what'd he say, Professor?" asked Bobby, all ready in his ice form.

"Nothing too helpful, I'm afraid," reported the Professor, prompting an orchestra of groans.

"Oh man, you've gotta be fucking kidding me!" exclaimed Dazzler, "How could some magic spewing samurai escape what's SUPPOSED to be the most powerful law enforcement service on the face of the planet!"

"I don't know, Alison. But Fury told me that he had no knowledge of him and I whole heartedly believe him."

"Vhat makes you say zhat, Herr Professor?" asked Kurt curiously, "Last I checked, ve aren't exactly on SHIELD's A-list."

"Yeah, for all we know they could be covering something up like that Weapon X mess," said Ororo, sounding a bit more militant.

"It's plausible, but doubtful," replied the Professor, "I know Fury to be a lot of things, but I hardly believe that he would go so far as to condone abduction, no matter how much he dislikes us."

"Then who could be behind this?" asked Piotr, "If it's not SHIELD or Weapon X, who could have sent that strange warrior?"

"Hey, maybe it was those Fenris guys who kidnapped Rogue!" exclaimed Bobby.

"Ha! You wish," muttered Kitty, earning her a scold from the Iceman.

"I understand your suspicions, Iceman. But no, I highly doubt they would be behind this. Fenris is just a corporation out for money and power and after our last encounter I highly doubt they would want anything to do with us."

"So where does that leave us?" inquired Warren.

"Where do ya think? Square fuckin' one," answered Wolverine bluntly.

It wasn't very uplifting, but this ordeal was unlike anything they had faced before. One of their own was gone, SHIELD wasn't going to help, and they had no information on who was behind this. Needless to say, this didn't leave the team with many options.

"So what's our next move, Professor?" asked Ororo.

"That's just it. I'm not sure," said the Professor with a sigh, "I have no information on who this intruder is or where he's escaped to. I've called all the possible allies I can think of and we still have nothing to go on."

"So that's it? We're on our own?" said Bobby, not feeling to confident about this predicament.

"Unfortunately, yes. For now, all we can do is keep an eye on Cerebro for any signs of mutant spikes. I doubt we'll find a trace of that warrior, but hopefully Scott will show up. And only then will we be able to…"

"That's not acceptable, Professor! And you damn well know it!" came a sudden voice from the entranceway adjacent to the Cerebro corridor.

The Professor and the others were met with the appearance of a very irked Jean Grey. Clearly, she was angry, frustrated, and anxious about this whole mess. And giving her powers, that was not a good thing. But Phoenix or no Phoenix, she wasn't about to just keel over when the man she loved was missing.

"Jean! What are you doing out of the infirmary?" exclaimed Xavier, sensing her instability.

"I'm fine, Professor! Just dandy!" she spat in response, "My boyfriend's out there missing and you expect me to just hole up in some bed!"

Jean's whole body suddenly flashed in a fiery burst of Phoenix flames, causing everybody to take a weary step back.

"Jean," said Ororo in a calm tone, "Maybe you should…"

"I'm fine, damn it!" she yelled, causing more flames to erupt, "I'm just a little angry about my boyfriend being abducted while we just sit here waiting for our piss to dry!"

"Whoa there, Jean! Take it easy!" said Kitty, remembering all too well how she had nearly lost control like this during the whole Mojo affair.

"Yes…Listen to her, Jean," said the Professor, using his psychic powers to send calming sensations to the young redhead's mind, "Remain calm. We WILL find Scott. But you'll be no good to him in this current state. You must remain strong!"

With those words echoing through her mind, Jean took a few deep breaths and reasserted control over her being. It took some effort, but the flames died down and she regained her sense of balance. While she wasn't sure what that warrior did to her, it had seriously affected the Phoenix, leaving her all the more shaken about what was going on here.

"You're…You're right," she said, still breathing hard, "I'm sorry, I just…"

"Hey, it's okay," said Ororo as she stood by her friend's side, "I know how rough it can when you fear for a loved one's safety."

"Yeah, and look how that ended," muttered Bobby under his breath, remembering what happened with Beast.

Professor Charles Xavier was at a loss. Dealing with Scott's abduction was hard enough, but dealing with Jean's volatile powers as well was more than his team could handle. She was clearly concerned for Scott, but it was the impact that had been left on her psyche that was really beginning to worry him.

"So what exactly is our, plan?" asked Jean, finally feeling calm enough to be serious.

"For now, we can only go on what we know," said the Professor.

"Yeah, there's a stretch," muttered Logan.

"Yeah, what exactly do we know, Professor?" asked Piotr, "You said it yourself, we know nothing of this man who abducted Scott."

"Not entirely, Colossus," said the Professor, as he began to ponder this matter more critically, "Think about it…What did we learn during our fight with him?"

"Well for one, we learned that he could kick our collective asses," said Alison, still rubbing her eyes from the effects of the blinding reflective move he had pulled.

"Yes, but aside from that I think there's more to it," Xavier continued.

"Vhat do you mean?" asked Kurt curiously.

"Well for one, as skilled as this man was, he went out of his way to ensure that he didn't harm any of us any more than he needed to. That alone says he wasn't here to fight."

"Yeah, come to think of it he did keep trying to talk us out of fighting," recalled Warren.

"But we just HAD to ignore him," groaned Bobby.

"Indeed, but it just goes to show that he's wasn't acting out of sheer belligerence. He had clear a reason for being here."

"Yeah…Scott, to be precise," said Jean, that detail sticking out the most for her, "He wanted him and no one else. We were just in the way."

"Exactly! And in addition, he took Scott alive. He didn't hurt him. He just neutralized him."

"What makes that so special?" scoffed Logan.

"Easy Wolverine, he wanted him unharmed," reasoned Colossus.

"Which is reason enough to believe that wherever they are now, Scott is still alive and well," said the Professor assertively.

Such words did offer some hope to the team. Thinking back to how the warrior carried himself, it really did seem as though he didn't want to hurt anybody. It was a curious matter, but it didn't bring them any closer to finding him.

"Is that all, Professor?" inquired Ororo.

"At the moment…Yes," said Xavier, much to the team's dismay, "But given that this intruder seemed to be in such a great hurry, it's logical to assume that he'll make his move soon. So from this moment on, I ask that you all remain on standby."

"Even us?" asked Warren, knowing that they were still on probation.

"Yes, even you two," said Xavier, "Because I have a feeling that we'll need to act in full force should we…"

Then, before the Professor could finish, an alarm went off from back down the hall in the main chamber of Cerebro. Everybody was startled out of their disheartened states, not expecting to hear that noise so soon. And from the sound of it, something major had just come up.

"Professor!" said Kurt over the noise, "Vhat's going on?"

"It appears that Cerebro has picked up Scott's signature," said the Professor as he quickly wheeled himself back down the hall with the others following close behind.

"Scott?" exclaimed Jean, "So soon?"

"Let us hope so, Marvel Girl. But be ready to move, X-men. Something tells me that we may not have a lot of time to act."

* * *

Scott Summers wasn't sure where he was or what was going on. He was in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness…Between the world of reality and dreams. His memory was fuzzy, his body was paralyzed, and his whole mind was reeling.

Then suddenly, a cold bucket of water was splashed over his face, abruptly waking him from his dazed state.

"Time to get up, Mr. Summers," came an unfamiliar voice, "We've got work to do."

Still feeling his ruby quartz visor on his face, Scott opened his eyes and got a glimpse of the mysterious figure hovering over him. It took a moment for his vision to clear, but when he saw who it was the memories came rushing back to him.

"You!"

"Bingo," said Slayer as he stood before the woozy young man, "Sorry for the wake up call, but we're kind of strapped for time here so we best get started."

"Started? With what?" said a still drowsy Scott.

"Why…The ritual, of course."

Scott didn't like the sound of that as he was bolted back to reality. But as soon as he tried to get up off the hard floor, he realized that both his wrists and feet were bound by metal shackles. Looking around, he saw that he was in some sort of temple complex. There was a large opening above him and a circular pentagram on the stone floor that he was lying on. All around him, he saw what looked to be Egyptian hieroglyphics and numerous torches illuminating the area in an eerie glow.

It was not a comforting scene, but what made his predicament all the more worrisome was the fact that whatever this place was, it seemed to be an altar or sacrificial chamber of sorts. And he was right in the center of it.

"Err! Damn it! What's going on here! What is this!" demanded Scott as he struggled with the shackles.

"Relax, Scott. It'll all be over soon," said Slayer in a calm tone as he lit a few more torches on the side and stood before a stone pedestal, "You're going to be okay. You just have to trust me on this."

"Trust you? Trust you! You've got me chained to the damn floor!" yelled Scott.

"I'm afraid that it's a necessary measure, my friend," said Slayer as he ran his hands over a few engravings in the stone, causing them to glow a mysterious bluish color, "I know it's uncomfortable. But don't worry, it won't be for long."

Scott kept on struggling, but the more he tried the more he wore himself out. Slayer was pushing himself to work a little faster as he saw Scott's growing agitation. While he could hardly blame him, this ritual had to be done. And if he didn't go through with it, then somebody much worse would.

"Err! My friends will come for me!" yelled Scott in a fury.

"I know. They're already on their way," said Slayer ominously.

"What! But how do you…"

"Easy, I can see them," said the mutant warrior as he looked back at the young man with his glowing all seeing eye, "At the moment, we're in an old temple that I had to raise from the sands in southern Egypt. Nobody knows about it, but it's got no psychic shielding so naturally you're buddies are on their way, which means that I'll just have to work faster. So please, stop struggling. You're going to need your strength."

Scott was growing very anxious about where this was leading. His heart rate went through the roof as he watched the mysterious mutant warrior walk over to him and paint a strange, bird-like symbol on his bear chest. Bearing only the bottom half of his uniform, his tracer and communicator were gone and he was at this man's mercy. But regardless of his predicament, he couldn't help but be a little curious.

"What are you doing? Why am I here?" asked Scott, sounding a bit calmer as he struggled to keep his thoughts in order.

"There's…No real easy way to answer that question, Scott. But I'll try," said Slayer as he returned to the stone podium, "Just answer me this, have you been having any strange dreams lately?"

His eyes widened and a cold feeling fell over him as he looked back into the penetrating gaze of the mutant warrior. He didn't want to believe that there was anything significant about those dreams, but now he knew that was not the case.

"How…How did you know about that!" he demanded.

"I saw that too," said Slayer, the mark over his eye glowing a bright yellow once again, "My all seeing eye can see pretty much anything regardless of distance, time, or obscurity. And you're current predicament is no exception. In fact, I got my first glimpse of it last night, so don't think I've been asleep at the wheel here. I'm just trying to make sure that what happens next doesn't lead to the end of all life on Earth."

Scott wasn't sure what to make of this, but he found his thoughts drifting back to his most recent dream where he was hovering over charred fields of death and hearing that mysterious, yet powerful voice call out to him. But Slayer wasn't done yet.

"I know about the things you've been dreaming, Scott. I know about the voice, the power, and the destruction that you bore witness to with your mind's eye. And I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but…Those dreams aren't exactly dreams, per se."

"Yeah, somehow I figured," muttered Scott, not feeling much better about it, "So then what are they?"

"Visions," answered Slayer in an ominous tone, "Visions of something that has been dwelling within you since the day you were born."

"Visions? Visions of what!" demanded Scott.

Slayer knew this was going to be hard for Scott to believe, but given the powers at work here this kid deserved to know the truth even if it bordered the realm of impossibility.

"Think about it, Scott Summers," said Slayer as he cast an enigmatic gaze upon the young man, "Think back to those dreams. In them, everything is full of fire, destruction, and raw, unabated power. Forces that the human mind can't even begin to contemplate rest within the palm of your hand, all guided by nothing more than your own whim."

Scott grew entranced by such words. As impossible as it seemed, he knew he was right. The vivid way he described the unparalleled power was just too accurate. It sent a chill up and down his spine, but at the same time it heightened his curiosity, for maybe this guy could finally give him some answers.

"But…What is it?" asked Scott intently..

"Not what…Who," replied Slayer cryptically, "In those visions, I know you also heard a voice…One that you've never heard before, yet you feel you know deep down."

"Voice…But…How do you know all this!" said Scott, who was seriously beginning to freak out here.

"I told you, Scott. I can see it. I can see all of it. There isn't a lot I can't see with the power I wield. You see, like you I am a mutant. I have the power to tap physical and metaphysical energy. Hence, I am not only very strong, but I also have great aptitude in the mystic arts. And it's that knowledge which has led me to you."

Slayer diverted the young man's attention to the ancient hieroglyphs on the walls. They all looked relatively fresh for ancient text, but being buried in the sand must have preserved it. But what intrigued him more was the subject matter of these strange pictograms, many of which seemed to center around a fiery bird.

"In the days of Ancient Egypt, there were a plethora of gods and goddesses that were worshipped from the old kingdom all the way up to the Roman era," explained Slayer as he ran his hands over some of the ancient text, "But among all those gods who made up the vast mythology of the Nile, there was on God at the center of it all. It was known as Re, the God of the sun. To the ancients, it embodied the fundamental power of life. However, this power was but a force. The Egyptians believed that such power could manifest in a conscious form. And the form for this power came through the son of Re, a fiery falcon deity named Horus."

Scott's whole body tensed at the sound of that name. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he felt some sort of strange connection to it. Eager to know more, he listened on.

"Horus embodied Re's power of creation and destruction," continued the mutant warrior, "He was manifested in a part man, part falcon form. He wielded the ability to create, destroy, and nurture the cosmos as he saw fit. His power was derived from the life giving power of the sun, not at all unlike your photoconcussive blasts. And in the ancient world, Horus garnered a great deal of reverence amongst the Egyptians and many other ancient cultures."

"I still don't see what this has to do with me or my visions," said Scott, who just wanted answers.

"Oh, it has everything to do with your visions, Scott. You see, in the mythology of the ancient world, people believed that gods could manifest in mortal vessels. A figure that best embodies the spirit of the god connects with the entity on a deep metaphysical level that extends to the mind, body, and soul of the being. And in this very temple, the Egyptians conducted rituals based on the premise that one day…A mortal man would enter this world and manifest the power of Horus. And even though it's taken thousands of years, that day has finally come. Because that being…Is you, Scott Summers."

Scott's eyes widened underneath his ruby quartz glasses and started to struggle with his chains again. This was crazy. He wasn't a vessel for some ancient god. He was just some kid. Granted, he was a kid who bore some unique talents, but what Slayer was talking about was ludicrous. There's no way it could be true…Could it?

"You're crazy! You're fucking crazy!" spat Scott, trying hard to break free, "You think I'm some shell for a god!"

"Is it really so hard to believe, Scott?" said Jack, laughing somewhat as he returned to the altar, "After the dreams you've had and the feelings you've felt…Oh, and who can forget that little incident in the danger room."

"What! But…Why!"

"Because this thing is a part of you, Scott. It's more a part of you than you could possibly imagine. It's been brewing inside you…A link with this divine consciousness. A part of it has already manifested. How else does a guy survive being thrown off a cliff and stranded in a gorge for three weeks straight?"

Scott was silenced as the memories of the Savage Land came rushing back to him. Logan had left him for dead just so he could steal Jean again, but somehow he survived. He almost went mad. His memory of the whole affair was fuzzy, but somehow he managed to heal from it with no ill effects. Even Magneto's doctors were surprised.

It had always been a mystery to him. But it was finally starting to make sense.

"Horus saved you. A part of it merged with you when you were on the verge of death. How else do you think you healed so quickly? And how else could you have pulled off that danger room stunt. But you shouldn't feel alone. After all, isn't your girlfriend, Jean Grey, a vessel of the same kind for the Phoenix?"

The mere mention of Jean and the power of the Phoenix struck a chord with him since he had seen first hand how it affected her. It allowed her to disintegrate an entire nuclear power plant, fry the Hellfire Club, and even kill two anti-mutant soldiers from Weapon X. He had witnessed such powr the knowledge there was more than one force like that didn't sit well with him to say the least.

"The Phoenix…" Scott found himself repeating, that word having a deeper meaning now.

"Yes, and believe it or not, she's a part of this too…A big part," said the mutant warrior as he gathered the final supplies, "But that's a story for another time. Right now, we have to proceed."

"Proceed? With what? What the hell are you going to do to me!"

"Relax Scott, I'm not going to do anything that isn't going to happen on it's own," coaxed Slayer as he took out what looked to be a brilliantly carved figurine of Horus, "You're visions are just a sign and eventually you will manifest the full power of Horus in the same way Jean Grey manifested the power of the Phoenix. But unfortunately, we're going to have to rush that manifestation."

"Rush it! Why?" yelled Scott, now struggling once more.

"Because if you don't, then somebody MUCH worse will and we can't allow it to happen. So in that case we're going to have to speed things up. The power of Horus must manifest in its proper body. And with this ritual, I'm going to make sure it happens before it's too late."

"No!" grunted Scott, still fighting to break free.

Slayer ignored his frantic struggling and placed the amber figurine in a special slot. Suddenly, it started to glow and Scott could feel a cold wind blowing through the massive chamber. His heart rate shot up and his breathing became ragged. He could feel something deep inside him starting to grow. The fire, the power, the destruction…It was coming to him.

"Don't worry, Scott. It'll all be over soon," said Slayer as his hands began to glow along with the figurine, "You're friends are almost here, so I'll have to act fast. Just try to relax. Let the power of Horus come to you."

"No! I won't!" struggled Scott, his whole body beginning to shutter violently.

Ignoring his words, Slayer began a mysterious chant in a language Scott had never heard before. The circular area where he was chained to was beginning to glow a fiery yellow and everything around him was now burning with the great power of the ancients.

Then he heard it…That deep, powerful voice calling out to him. Only this time, it was so close that he could feel it's breath on his face. And as much as he struggled to fight it, a part of him couldn't help but embrace it.

"**Scott…It is time."**

"Yes…Horus. I can feel you. I…I…AHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

Not far from the temple, the X-jet towards the powerful signature that the Professor had given them. Everybody minus the Professor was present for this one, even Warren and Dazzler. They were still on probation, but against a force like this they would need all the help they could get.

Jean was also there much to the dismay of the Professor. He didn't like the idea of her partaking in a mission like this in her volatile state. But nothing he said would stop her from saving her boyfriend, even if it meant dealing with the Phoenix again.

"How much further to this place?" asked Bobby, looking out through the window and seeing nothing but desert, "All I see out there is sand, sand, and more sand."

"Cool your jets, Iceman. We're almost there," grunted Logan, who was trying to fly the plane that only Scott and the late Hank McCoy had been capable of handling.

"We better be because I've got a very bad feeling about this," said Ororo, who was forced to hang onto her seat as they hit a little turbulence that Logan was unable to avoid.

"That makes two of us, Ro," said Jean, suddenly clutching her head.

"You okay, Jeannie?" asked Kitty, who was sitting next to the distraught redhead.

"I'm…Not sure, Kitty," she replied, "I…Argh!"

Suddenly, her body flashed in the fires of the Phoenix, causing her to let out a pained groan that drew everybody's attention. They knew that she was in a volatile state, but now was NOT the time to have her Phoenix powers act up again.

"Wow there! Take it easy Lady Exorcist!" said Dazzler, "We don't need you going critical on us now."

"No…It's not that, I…"

Suddenly, the expression on her face changed. Her body was still glowing, but it was as if she was sensing something that the others couldn't. It wasn't causing her pain or discomfort, but it definitely had an effect her.

'I…I can feel it! So powerful…So strong,' she thought as she was struck with something that went beyond human understanding.

"Jean! Jeannie!" yelled Logan.

"Come on, Jean! Snap out of it!" urged Piotr.

But she remained in this state, dazed yet focused on what she was sensing. It was hitting not just her, but the Phoenix as well. And through it, she managed to make out a single name.

"Horus…"

"HEY JEAN!" yelled Bobby, finally jolting the redhead out of her state.

The glowing around her body stopped, but she could still feel it in her head. This vast power was drawing near and Scott was at the center of it all.

"Jean…" said Kurt, growing increasingly weary of his friend.

"He's just up ahead!" she said, no longer sounding dazed, "I can feel him! Something's happening! Logan, take the jet down!"

"With pleasure," he grunted, having had enough of flying this crazy thing as he descended to the sandy desert below, "Hold onto your butts! Looks like we may hit a dust storm!"

The visibility outside dropped to zero as the X-jet plowed through a thick cloud of sand and dust. Everybody held on, feeling several jolts and shutters from all around the plane. And when the sight before them cleared up, they got their first glimpse of the mysterious temple where their friend was currently trapped.

"Mien Gott!" said Kurt as he and the others took in the site before them.

"Wow! Where the hell did this place come from? Professor, are you getting this?" asked Ororo through the com link.

"Yes, I'm sensing it through Cerebro," reported the Professor, who was back at the mansion using all the computing power at his disposal to guide his team, "And near as I can tell, this area was supposed to be desert wasteland."

"Well looks like somebody did a little renovating," said Logan as he landed the plane and killed the engines, "Come on guys! Let's go pay Mr. Samurai a visit! Something tells me that when we find Cyke, he'll be right there waiting!"

"Great," said Angel in a rather pessimistic tone, "Maybe this time, we can put up more of a fight."

As they all stepped out, they got a clear view of the true size of the temple. Compared to other ancient structures that they saw on post cards and documentaries, this thing looked brand new. But what made it stand out the most was a swirling circle of fire radiating from the top. And knowing their luck, that's exactly where they would find Scott.

"Dude, did we just stumble into an Indiana Jones movie or something?" commented Bobby.

"Looks like it, Iceboy," said Dazzler, not looking too impressed despite the impressive grandeur of the structure.

"Then strap on your cowboy hats and grab your whips, kiddies! Cause we're goin' in!" grunted Logan, eager for a rematch with the young warrior who had bested him.

As they all made their way in, Jean hesitated for some reason. She stood there transfixed on the circle of fire above the temple, feeling as though it was calling out to her. She could still sense this great power that was focusing itself on Scott. The Phoenix force was greatly stirred by this, but the urgings of her friends kept her from contemplating it any further.

"Come on, Jean! Let's go!" yelled Ororo, who led the back with Logan by her side, "We have to get Scott out of there!"

"Scott…Yes," she said, still somewhat dazed, "My love. Scott…Horus."

"JEAN!" yelled Piotr, grabbing her arm and forcibly breaking her current state.

It took a moment for her to collect her thoughts, but she managed to get a hold of herself and followed the others.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" she shouted as she took to the air with her telekinetic powers and caught up with them.

Halfway around the world, Professor Charles Xavier was also sensing something very powerful from this mysterious temple. It was a power not unlike the Phoenix, but this one was different. This was an entirely different entity. Only now, it seemed focused on Scott Summers. And whatever it was, it was beginning to manifest.

"What in God's name?" said the Professor as he watched the readings on Cerebro spike tremendously, "What is happening? What's going on out there?"

The good Professor didn't have an answer to that just yet, but something told him that he was going to find out soon enough.

* * *

As the X-men made their way through the core of the temple, Slayer was almost done with the ritual. His chant had been going on for what felt like an eternity for Scott, but whatever it was doing he was beginning to feel the impact of it.

The fire around his body was growing more intese. The power that he felt so connected to was beginning to overtake him. Through his obstructed vision, he could see it so clearly, the divine fires of the immortal deity. It was so beautiful, so powerful, and it was all focused on him.

"Horus…" said Scott, his body beginning to contort strangely as he was overcome by this strange power.

"Let there be no more barriers!" chanted Slayer, no longer speaking in an unknown tongue, "May the severed link reconnect! May the great power find its proper host! The power of Horus…Son of creation and destruction…Manifes in its rightful mortal vessel! The power of Horus…ARISE!"

And through the exposed top of the temple, the ring of fire took its final shape. And right before Scott's eyes, he saw it. It was the immortal bird he was so connected to on a level he couldn't even begin to comprehend. And at long last, it was finally going to join him. After eons of dormancy, the immortal power of Horus had finally found its home.

"**Scott…It's time. Embrace me. Come to me. Let us unite!"**

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Then, in a brilliant glow of fiery flames, the immortal entity merged with its mortal vessel. The sound of Scott's cries echoed all throughout the room, quickly reaching the minds and ears of his teammates who were just outside the chamber.

"No…Scott!" said Kitty, worried that they were too late.

"My love," said Jean, her voice suddenly shifting again, "I…I feel you."

But she didn't have time to contemplate this any further as Wolverine drove them forward.

"Come on!" he yelled, "Let's get him out of there!"

The light was still shining brightly in the circular layout of the area where Scott was lying. The great power that had linked up with him was attaining its final form and on the altar Slayer was still standing strong, looking tired from having spent so much mystical energy, yet accomplished in that he had done what was necessary to ensure the power was in its proper place.

"Hey pal!" yelled Dazzler as they all entered the chamber in full force, "Step away from the pit or you're diving head first into it!"

As he turned around to face the X-men, the mutant warrior didn't look all that surprised. He knew he was probably going to have to deal with them again, but as usual time was against him. And if he couldn't reason with them, then he'd have no choice but to fight them again.

"X-men…It's okay," he said, holding his hands up in a peaceable manner, "Please, let's not fight. We need to act quickly! The power of Horus must be…"

"Enough talkin' bub! We're not going anywhere until we get some answers!" yelled Wolverine in response, "Just what the hell did you do!"

"I merely sped up what was already beginning to manifest in your friend," answered Slayer as he stepped down from the altar and tried to maintain a non-violent tone, "Your friend, Scott Summers, is the rightful vessel of a great power that is at great risk."

"Vessel? Power? What are you talking about?" said Piotr in his full metal form, ready to tear into this man if need be.

"Don't you see, X-men? I'm doing this to protect your friend! Not hurt him!" said Slayer, showing obvious signs of frustration.

"Protect him? You call this protecting him!" yelled Bobby, "You abduct him and bring him to this creepy place only to put him through some weird sacrifice and you say that this is a safeguard of sorts!"

"Yeah, just what are you protecting him from, anyways!" demanded Kitty.

Suddenly, before Slayer could give them his answer, a powerful rumble shook the entire temple down to its very core. It was enough to make many of them lose their balance. The old stone structure showed signs of strain from whatever it was that had descended upon them, but before anybody could even get back up, it began to manifest right before their eyes.

"Oh shit! It's him! He's here!" said Slayer in a dreaded tone.

"Him? Him who!" demanded Logan.

"The very being I was trying to protect your friend from…Warlord Xin."

Then, like a scene taken right out of a horror movie, all the shadows around them came to life and converged on a single spot. And through the mini cyclone of darkness and shadows a tall, dark, demonic figure took shape. He bore black armor all over his body, looking like a cross between a medieval knight and jungle warrior from the Congo. In his hand, he had an oversized sword that looked bigger than a full grown human. However, the most striking feature about this being that sent waves of chills down the spines of the young team of mutants were his sinister, glowing red eyes.

And for some, those eyes were immediately recognized much to their horror.

"Oh God no…No!" gasped Ororo, falling back towards the altar as she stared at the being before her in disbelief, "It…It can't be! It's not possible!"

"Pitiful mortals," said the demonic figure in a low, sinister tone, "I appreciate you doing the dirty work for me, Slayer. But now I think Warlord Xin shall take it from here!"

* * *

AN: Well things sure are messy now, aren't they? Not only is there a new super powered entity in town, but there's also a new villain on the block! Yes folks, a new OC from slickboy is here…And his name is Warlord Xin! He's just one of the many enemies of Slayer and you'll learn more about him soon enough! And don't forget about Scott! Now he's a medium for Horus. It's sure to create quite a stir and you'll just have to stay tuned to see how it intensifies! But in the meantime, I urge you all to REVIEW! Send them to me via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish you all the best!

WARLORD XIN ORDERS YOU! REVIEW!


	5. Dark Manifestations

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 5: Dark Manifestations**

****

* * *

The light from the center of the chamber was still glowing brightly as the X-men and the mutant warrior known as Slayer stood before the demonic figure known as Warlord Xin. His unexpected arrival had changed the stakes of the game and now it was clear that there was more to this than any of them could have imagined.

"It's nice to see you again, Slayer!" said the tyrant of darkness, standing unafraid before his nemesis.

"Wish I could say the same you overgrown jungle wart!" quipped Slayer in response as he withdrew his shining sword, "But this time you're too late! Horus is now within its vessel! You can't tap its power!"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, warrior," said Xin with an insidious laugh, "In fact, I think you've just helped me in my quest."

"Helped you!" exclaimed the mutant warrior, trying to see with his all seeing eye through the darkness and deception of this very evil being, but with little success.

"Indeed…And since you brought along a few friends to the party, I think I'll reward all of you!"

The rumbling picked up and the team of mutants along with the mysterious warrior began to lose their balance again. It was a confusing moment for the X-men, but whatever was going on here it was clearly trouble.

"Whoa! What the hell is going on, here!" yelled Bobby, practically tripping over his own feet.

"I don't know, comrade," said Piotr, finding this equally confusing, "But whatever it is, I think it's about to get worse."

"Yeah, just our luck!" grunted Alison.

Over with Ororo, however, things were much more chaotic as she kept trying to divert her gaze from the demonic figure. She was shaking her head and gasping in ragged breaths, her eyes not believing what she was seeing. It just wasn't possible. She refused to believe it.

"No! It's not him! It's not him!" she kept repeating over and over again.

"Snap out of it, Ro!" yelled Logan, his claws still drawn and ready for battle, "Come on! Stay with me! I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Wolverine, you don't know the half of it," said Slayer cryptically.

Then, as the rumbling went on, the shadows in the room came to life and out of the darkness arose large humanoid minions that bore armor similar in style to Xin's, but on a smaller scale. With no shortage of shadows, many formed and the team was soon surrounded by large numbers of imposing dark warriors, each of which bore the same red eyes as Xin.

"Now, my minions…Amuse yourselves," he ordered in a casual tone.

"Bring it on asshole! I'm ready for you this time!" yelled Slayer as he lunged forth and tore into the cluster of minions with unparalleled warrior skill.

"X-men, you know what to do!" ordered Logan, who quickly followed suit.

"But…But I…" stammered Ororo, still in a strange state of shock.

"Come on, Ro! Cover us!" yelled Kitty as she was forced to phase through several dark minions that tried to cut her down in size.

"Yeah, just do what Wolverine's always telling us to do and fight!" yelled Warren as he took to the air to avoid being labeled the first human pin cushion with wings.

Still shaking her head in disbelief, Ororo's eyes began to glow as she summoned the full force of her powers and began hitting the oncoming rush of minions with gusts of wind, coupled with a few lightning strikes. But while this and further attacks did disable a few of them, that didn't stop others from coming and swarming their position.

"Dude! These things aren't dying!" yelled Bobby as he kept trying to freeze whoever he could while being forced to dodge those who were lucky enough to get through.

"That's because they can't!" yelled Slayer as he cut through several more minions with his sword, "They're entities of the shadows! They can't exactly die per se!"

"Great…NOW you tell us!" spat Dazzler as she unloaded a barrage of bright light bursts into an oncoming crowd of minions.

The high pitched squeals of dark minions filled the chamber as the fight intensified. Bobby stuck close to Dazzler as they used their distance powers to hold back the oncoming swarm. Kitty and Kurt worked to spread their ranks, luring them out of the center of the area so they wouldn't surround and overwhelm their friends and Piotr worked to cover them the whole time when a few were quick enough to attack. Ororo and Warren stayed in the air with Ororo keeping her powers at full throttle to knock out any guards that came too close while Warren did a few swooping attacks that he had learned from Wolverine. Yet while this was all going on, Jean seemed unusually withdrawn for some reason as if she had fallen into a strange daze.

"Jean! Yo Jean! What's going on with you, girl?" yelled Kitty over the chaotic noise.

"Yeah, keep it together Jean!" said Kurt as he saw the somewhat withdrawn young woman staring aimlessly at the altar, guarded only by a telekinetic shield, "Ve need you!"

Yet the redhead didn't respond. It was as if she hadn't even heard them. All she could focus on now was the altar and the great power simmering within it.

"Horus…Scott…My love," she said in a tone that sounded both like Jean Grey and someone else entirely.

Near the altar, however, Slayer and Wolverine were handling some of the stiffest resistance. Warlord Xin didn't seem at all bothered by this. He just kept walking casually up to the altar as if it were a stroll through the park on a Sunday afternoon.

"You're not gonna win this time, Xin!" yelled Slayer as he shook off several more minions, "That power is useless to you now!"

"Ah, but that's where you're mistaken my most pestilent enemy," said Warlord Xin with an insidious grin, "For I now have everything I need right here!"

Then, as he stepped up to the stone podium, the dark warlord picked up the small amber figurine that Slayer had used in the ritual. And as he held it in his hand, his sinister red eyes flashed, for he had gotten what he had come here for. And surprisingly, it had been easier than he had anticipated.

"What the…" said the mutant warrior, confused by the sinister being's actions.

"Time to make some preparations of my own," he said as he turned to look over the ongoing battle still raging before him, "As much as I enjoy war, I'm afraid I cannot stay. Thanks again, Slayer! I appreciate your help! Now my minions…Paint these walls with their blood! I don't wish to have any further impediments for what I have planned."

And with a quick flick of his wrist, the demonic figure disappeared into a veil of darkness, leaving behind his shadow army to finish the job.

"No!" yelled Slayer as he sliced through three more minions that had been holding him back, "Xin! Get back here you cowardly piece of shit! I'm not done with you!"

But Slayer's angry words had no affect as Warlord Xin disappeared into the darkness, taking the amber figurine with him. Letting out a grunt of frustration, Slayer practically shattered the stone podium with his fists, feeling enraged that he had been used by this evil manifestation.

"That son of a bitch!" he yelled, clenching his fists in a rage, "Why did he take that thing? It's useless now unless…"

But before he could finish his thoughts he was abruptly reminded that there was still a rather serious fight going on.

"Uh…Warrior man? We could really use your help here!" said Bobby, who was beginning to struggle with the increasing numbers they were facing from the dark minions.

"Yeah, get off your ass and do something about these things! They won't stop coming!" yelled Dazzler, who was really on her last nerve.

Turning back towards the young team of mutants he had unfortunately dragged into this, Slayer let out another frustrated grunt, for this was definitely not going as he had planned. He was about to jump back into the fight and help, when suddenly, his gaze fell upon the still withdrawn Jean Grey.

"Ms Grey?" he said as he watched her approach the altar.

She didn't respond to his words as he watched her focus on the still glowing pool of light that had inundated the area where Scott Summers had been chained to. The look on her face was one of intrigue, arousal, and passion…Something that even Slayer hadn't seen coming. He took a step back as he watched her approach the now shattered stone podium, not knowing what to expect.

"Scott," she said, her voice strong, yet steady, "I can…I can feel you."

"Jean!" yelled Slayer, trying to snap her out of this state.

Then, before Jean could have time to ignore his words, the light in the center began to pulsate in strange flashes. And through Slayer's all seeing eye, he saw exactly what was happening and quickly motioned to take cover.

"Oh Shit…" he said as he leapt off the altar, "Uh, guys? I think you should get down for this!"

"Huh? What the hell are you…" but Logan didn't get a chance to finish as he and the others were suddenly drawn to the intense light that was now radiating in all directions.

Something was brewing inside that altar…Something with intense power the likes of which they hadn't seen since the Phoenix. It was swirling in a miniature tornado of fire and bright yellow light. And from all this blinding fury, the young team of mutants were able to make out a familiar figure.

"Scott!" yelled Ororo as she saw her friend through the intense brightness.

But as soon as the figure became clearer, a booming voice sounded through the chaotic flashes that now bathed the room.

"**No…There is no more of this Scott that you speak of. This mortal vessel has assumed its role. And now we are finally united! The son of light…The power of raw, unabated destruction…The splendor and glory of creation! I AM HORUS!"**

Suddenly, all the gathering fire and light surrounding the figure stopped swirling and focused entirely on the now hovering form of Scott Summers. And in a blinding burst of intense light, the minions of Warlord Xin were fried into nothingness as the X-men and the mutant warrior known as Slayer took cover.

"Mien Gott!" gasped Kurt as he and the others watched in amazement as a primal power older than Earth itself manifested right before their very eyes.

"Scott! Scott, what's going on? What's happening!" yelled Piotr, trying to reach the man who he believed was still inside all that light.

"Stay down, big guy!" urged Warren as he kept the Russian Colossus from getting up from his position, "There's no telling what this…Thing is going to do!"

"That THING is still, Scott!" yelled Kitty over the noise, "We have to save him!"

"I don't know, kid. Looks like he's kind of beyond savin' at this point," said Wolverine, trying to draw everybody away from the blinding light.

Finally, as the chaotic power began to settle, a deafening, bird-like cry that resembled that of a falcon echoed throughout the room, causing everybody to cover their ears. Yet despite the chaos, Jean Grey remained remarkably calm, still fixated on the glowing form before her. And from this sight, her body became engulfed in flames…The tell-tale sign of the Phoenix.

"**Horus…Yes! It IS you!"**

When the deafening cries died down, the light surrounding the altar vanished and hovering them before them was a new version of Scott Summers. He bore a strange new getup, his whole body was covered in a skin tight, dark red body suit with the yellow image of a falcon on his chest. There were also armor like pads on his shoulders and muscles, giving off a distinctive masculine feel. Every last one of his muscles was accentuated, making him look so strong and powerful. He still had his ruby quartz glasses. Only now, they were glowing brightly, as if to show the penetrating gaze of a living, breathing cosmic force.

"**At long last I am whole again! The power of creation and destruction…All within the palm of my hand!"**

This seemed to excite the Phoenix as she reached out to him as if it was sensing and experiencing the exhilaration right along with him.

"**Yes. I can feel it too…The power of the cosmos."**

"**Ah Phoenix. At long last, I see you. I feel you."**

"**Horus…"**

Having seen enough, Slayer sprang into action, knowing now was definitely not the time for something like this to go down.

"Okay you two, time to cool your jets!"

Then, with the symbols atop his hands glowing brightly with mystical energy, Slayer began to cast a spell that would hopefully ward off any further complications, at least temporarily. His whole body shimmered with intense power, his being now glowing a dark purplish color as he summoned as much mystical energy as he could from this room that was so thick of it to begin with.

"Look into my eye, Horus!" yelled Slayer, suddenly diverting the attention of the cosmic entity, "Look into the eye that sees no lies! Hear me from one mortal vessel of the divine to another…And sleep."

"**Hnnn…"**

Slayer's actions had an immediate effect on the entity as he hit it with a shroud of mystical energy that resembled a thick, bluish mist. And after a few tense moments, the halo of fire and simmering power residing within the young man faded along with the strange new outfit, causing him to revert back to his previous, bear chested form. And once the powerful force subsided, Scott Summers let out a groan and collapsed to the ground.

"Ugh," groaned Slayer as he finished the spell, which had drained more of his energy than he had expected, "Containment spells suck ass."

While the mutant warrior caught his breath, Jean Grey managed to come around as the shroud of mist put the Phoenix as bay as well. It took a moment for her to shake her head clear and reassert control, but as soon as she did her attention quickly focused on her unconscious boyfriend.

"Huh? What the…Scott!"

Quickly running towards his side, Jean took his limp form in her arms, relieved that he was still alive. Soon, the others swarmed around him as well, temporarily ignoring Slayer as they were quickly drawn to their friend.

"Scott! Hey Scott!" said Warren as he looked down at his unconscious form, "Is he okay?"

Jean hesitated to answer that, for she was still reeling from what just happened. But despite this, she kept her cool and kept holding her boyfriend securely in her arms.

"He's alive," she said bluntly.

"Guess that's one positive we can count," made Bobby, "But what the hell was that thing?"

"Yes, Horus I think it was called," said Piotr, the booming voice still echoing in his ringing ears.

Jean tensed up as upon hearing that name, causing her to take a few gasps of air. But still, she held it together, even if it was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Hey, forget that Horus crap! What about that crazy looking guy in all the armor!" exclaimed Alison in response, "Who the hell was he!"

"That…Was Warlord Xin," said Ororo, her voice shuttering as he spoke that name.

"Yeah, that much I got," replied the former punk rocker, "But what the fuck was he doing here! And moreover, what the fuck is all this shit about!"

"Can't say I know the answer to that, kid," said Logan with a disgruntled look, "But I think I know someone who does."

Everybody's eyes were now on Slayer, who was still recovering from the fatigue induced by the spell. He wasn't too keen of being leered at, but given the circumstances he could hardly blame them. He did kidnap their friend after all. And besides, how could they possibly know the kind of forces they were up against?

"Okay, pal! Playtime is over!" said Bobby, trying to sound tough, "I think you owe us all a few answers. Now are you going to come clean or are we going to have to put you on ice?"

Slayer just rolled his eyes. He was in a bad enough mood as it was and he didn't need something like this. But, like it or not, these guys were now a part of this and they deserved to know the truth.

"Easy Iceman, like I've said before I don't wish to fight you guys," said the mutant warrior, once again returning to his feet, "You can lay down your arms. I'm not an enemy. I'm an ally."

"Yeah, you sure did a good job of showing that," muttered Kitty.

"Well I'm sorry, but I was in a bit of a hurry," reasoned Slayer, "As you can probably see now, there are some very dark forces at work here…Warlord Xin being one of them."

"But how is that possible!" exclaimed Ororo, sounding outright hysterical, "Warlord Xin is just a myth! A folktale! A freakin' ghost story! He's not supposed to be REAL!"

"Storm…" said Kurt, trying to get her to calm down, but with little effect.

"Yeah, I know. Big shocker, isn't it? A myth being reality," said Slayer, sounding almost exasperated when he said that, as if it was of little surprise to him, "But yes, that was him…The dark lord of the forbidden jungle in the flesh. He's a guy I've been dealing with for some time now. But at the moment, he's only second in our line of worries. Right now, we need to get your friend back to the institute."

"Wow, hold up here, pal!" said Logan, getting right up in Jack's face with a threatening gesture, "First off, there ain't no WE! And second, you ain't coming back with us to the mansion! After the shit you pulled last time, I'll hunt you down and cut off every one of your limbs if you even get within a hundred miles of the place!"

"Funny coming from a guy who once tried to infiltrate it himself," quipped Slayer in response.

That hit Logan harder than he expected, for he hadn't anticipated his knowledge of such past deeds. But whoever this guy was, he seemed to know a lot more than he let on.

"Ooh…Major burn dude," said Bobby, who couldn't help but laugh.

"Shut up, popsicle!" growled Logan in response, "Either way, you ain't comin' and that's final!"

"Fine! If that's the way you want it, you can go ahead and try to contain the cosmic scale power your friend now possesses on your own!" scoffed Slayer, growing obviously annoyed with this feral man's attitude, "But when Warlord Xin comes knocking again, don't come crying to me when he…"

Suddenly, before the mutant warrior could finish, the team's communication links went off and they began to hear the frantic voice of the Professor from the other end.

"X-men! X-men, do you read?" said the Professor through a thick level of static, "Come in, X-men! The signal is getting weak and…"

"We're here Professor," answered Jean, still dazed from it all, "We've got Scott. And he's alright for the most part, but…"

Jean couldn't complete her train of thought as her eyes fell upon her unconscious boyfriend again. She couldn't stop thinking back to what had happened with the Phoenix and how she had been overcome this…This feeling when Horus manifested. However, she set that aside for now as more pressing matters needed her attention.

"Is anybody hurt?" asked Xavier, the signal finally clearing up.

"For the most part, no. There ain't any big injuries," reported Logan.

"Depends on your definition," muttered Alison as she rubbed a small, yet festering wound on her elbow.

"What about Scott?" he went on to ask, "The energy readings on Cerebro went through the roof. The whole system nearly crashed."

"Can't say that surprises me," muttered Logan, "But as for One-eye, I ain't exactly sure."

There was a heavy silence over the line as Xavier found looked at the strange readings that seemed too impossible to be real. The only other time he had seen such strong energy spikes was with the Phoenix and he knew all too well how dangerous that was.

"What's our next move, Professor?" asked Jean, who was still holding an unconscious Scott in her arms.

"For now, just bring him home. I'll set up the infirmary and give Moria MacTaggart a call. With any luck, we should be able to…"

Then suddenly, Slayer cut in. Reaching forth and grabbing the small circular communicator with an X in the center that Bobby was holding, he made sure that his voice was known.

"Hey!" yelled Bobby, upon feeling the mutant warrior's actions.

"Professor Charles Xavier…" he said into the small device, ignoring the younger man's scorn.

"Who is this?" replied the Professor.

"My name is Jack Robinson, but most people know me as Slayer. I'm the one who abducted your friend."

His sudden interjection had surprised Xavier, but nevertheless he kept a calm poise. As uncomfortable as it was talking to someone who had broken into his school and taken one of his students, he knew full well that whoever this man was, he knew more than anybody at this point.

"Slayer…" he found himself saying over the com-link, "What's going on? Why did you take Scott?"

"It's…Complicated Professor," said Slayer in an awkward tone, "But you have my sincerest apologies for causing any sort of disruption with your school. I was just in a big hurry to stop a very evil force from getting his hands on the power that Scott wielded. And obviously, it didn't exactly go as planned."

"Yeah…Obviously," made Kitty, still not trusting this man any more than the others.

There was another silence over the line as Professor Xavier took a moment to digest this. He may have been in the dark, but he knew enough to understand that this was big. Looking back at the energy readings, he began to reconsider his previous views towards whoever this man was. After all, what choice did he have?

"Sir…" said Slayer, trying to sound respectful despite the situation, "I know this is all a big mess. And I guess I'm partially to blame for it. But just give me chance and I'll explain everything. Let me come back with your friends and I'll help you deal with this!"

"Come back!" exclaimed Logan, once again getting up in Jack's face, "You're even crazier than I thought, bub! What makes you think that we're gonna let you…"

"Logan, stand down!" ordered the Professor upon hearing his outbursts, "I repeat, stand down!"

"What!" replied a very shocked Logan, still just itching to whip out his claws.

"Professor…" said Warren, sounding very weary of what the Professor was implying, "You can't honestly think that this guy could…"

"Hey, I just helped you guys fight off Xin and stopped Horus from turning us all to cosmic dust! I think I deserve the benefit of the doubt here!" shot Slayer in response.

"Keep talking Mr. Samurai! Unless you want a fully fried retina!" yelled an angry Dazzler in response, a swirl of rainbow colored lights once again surrounding her body.

"Oh please, do we really have to do this again?" replied the young warrior, not looking all that threatened.

"I wouldn't speak, Mr. Slayer," said Piotr in his imposing, strongman tone, "You're in no position to…"

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" yelled Jean, her body suddenly glowing again with the fires of the Phoenix.

This effectively silenced everybody, replacing their apprehension with anxiety as they watched the fiery halo swirl about the very irked Jean Grey, still holding her boyfriend's unconscious form in her arms.

"Jean…" began Ororo as she approached her friend.

"I'm fine!" she spat before she could say another word, "Now like it or not team, we need this guy! He knows a few things that we don't! And if we're going to get through this, we're going to have to stop fighting and start cooperating before one of us goes nuclear!"

"Yeah, namely you," muttered Alison under her breath.

"Miss Grey…" began Jack, carefully approaching the bewildered young woman.

"Don't push it, pal!" yelled Jean, shooting him a menacing glare, "Just because we need you doesn't mean I trust you! I should fry your brains for what you did! But you've got some serious explaining to do and you better start talking!"

"As much as I'd like to avoid the part about my brains, I know what's at stake here," said Slayer in a serious tone, "But whether or not you want to believe me is irrelevant because there's a very powerful force out there that's now working against you. And if you don't let me help then your boyfriend's nightmares are going to be least of your worries."

His words were strong and resonated deeply. Yet they remained apprehensive, not trusting this armor clad young man in the slightest. But in the end, they knew this wasn't their decision, so they left it up to Xavier.

"So vhat's your call, Herr Professor?" asked Kurt through the com-link, "Vhat do you vant us to do?"

The Professor gave this matter some thought. With no other leads to go on, there weren't too many options. And bearing that in mind, he let out a deep sigh as made his choice.

"Okay…Slayer can come," he said, leaving no further room for argument, "There will be no more fighting at this point. For now, we must focus on whatever this new threat."

"Thank you, Professor Xavier. I'm honored by your choice," replied Slayer, despite some of the glares he was still receiving.

"Skip the formalities, pal," growled Jean, "Let's just get this shit over with so I can kick you in the nuts when it's over."

"I wish it were that simple, Jean," said the mutant warrior with a sigh, "But after you hear what I have to say, our little squabble will be the last thing on your minds."

* * *

In the thick bush of the unforgiving Congo jungle, the dark shadows that made up the vast forces of Warlord Xin converged on an abandoned temple complex. The dark lord himself was standing in the core of what looked like a ceremonial chamber. His minions were swirling about like mindless zombies, watching eagerly as their lord continued with his grandest plan. He looked poised for triumph as he firmly held the amber relic he had taken from Egypt, his red eyes glowing a sinister red as he took in the sight before him.

"The temple of creation and destruction…" said the demonic lord in a sinister tone, "Lost from the consciousness of man for centuries, but not from Warlord Xin."

Gazing upon the elaborate engravings which dotted every wall, many of which involved not one but two fiery birds, Warlord Xin stood ready to begin with the final phase of his plan. And upon a brilliantly decorated stone podium, he placed the amber relic in a small slot right next to a second figure that bore uncannily similar, although feminine features.

Suddenly, both figures began to glow in a fiery halo. Warlord Xin then proceeded to put a mysterious crystal skull onto a miniature pedestal in between the two figures. And as soon as it was in place, it began to draw the power of the mysterious statues, filling the whole area with a strong, ominous glow.

"At last, the final key is in place! The chi skull is ready!" he proclaimed, his seething tone echoing through the ancient walls, "The power is almost mine!"

As if on cue, the surrounding area within the chamber lit up as dormant torches came to life with blue and purple flames. And in the center of the room, a large pentagram surrounding it mystic symbolism that resembled that of Latin, Persian, Sub-Saharan African, and Egyptian hieroglyphs came to life and began to glow in a fiery red halo. Yet Xin wasn't done just yet.

"Now there is but one final piece."

Suddenly, the shadows around him came alive and out of the darkness, three imposing looking minions which bore features even deadlier than the rest of the surrounding beings formed before the dark lord and bowed in a show of loyalty.

"You know your target and you know your task," he told him as he raised his hand in a show of unyielding power and determination, "Bring me the vessel of Horus. Our time is short and we must act. This pitiful world is poised to crumble at my hands! Soon, the greatest of cosmic powers shall be mine to yield! And a world of darkness shall soon succumb to the ultimate might of Warlord Xin!"

* * *

AN: Looks like things just keep getting worse and worse for the X-men. But at least now they'll get some answers. They may be on the ropes now, but the stakes are getting higher now that Warlord Xin is setting his plan into motion! Stay tuned to see what the dark lord has planned next! And don't forget about Scott and this Horus creature! There's still more to come so in the meantime, I urge you all to REVIEW! Send your feedback via email or post it on the fanfiction website! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish everybody the best!

THE SHADOWS ARE ARISING! HURRY UP AND REVIEW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!


	6. Questions and Answers

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 6: Questions and Answers**

****

* * *

Upon returning to the mansion, Scott was rushed to the infirmary. The Professor meticulously checked his condition, hooking him up to numerous machines so he could monitor his vitals. But machines couldn't possibly quantify the kind of things going on in Scott's being. Jean had come to know that all too well.

During the ride back, she had been in a deep daze. She kept holding onto her unconscious boyfriend, looking as though she was trapped in her own mind. Some of the others tried to snap her out of it. Hell, even Logan gave it a shot, but even that wasn't enough.

She could feel something that they couldn't. She could see something that nobody else could see. Even Slayer was at a loss. It permeated her mind in the deepest of ways…This strange bond that formed between them the moment she felt this. It was on a level deeper than anybody could have imagined and for Jean, it had given her insight into something that went beyond the realm of human understanding.

But it wasn't the human component that disturbed her…It was the power of the dormant Phoenix that was still brewing within her that truly had her worried.

In a desire for comfort, she firmly held her unconscious lover's hand. It felt so warm even though he was out cold. It had mystified the Professor, but it barely registered with Jean. All she could think about was Scott and this strange force that had overtaken him.

Even when the others left to hear Jack's story, she decided to stay. As desperate as she was for answers, Scott's well being was her first priority. And as much as she wanted to learn about this phenomenon, a part of her already knew the truth. And the more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.

"I can still feel it, you know?" she found herself saying in a hoarse tone, "The moment that…That thing took you over. I felt it so strongly in my mind that it was as if it was reaching out to me. And I…I feel as though I was reaching out as well."

Even though Scott was unconscious, Jean could still sense him on a deeper level. It was almost surreal for her, but she knew the man she loved was still in there. He was just trapped between forces that neither of them could control.

"I remember how it felt when the Phoenix took me over," she went on to say, "It was horrible and wonderful at the same time. I had never felt so much power in the palm of my hand. It was as if I could crush the whole world with a mere thought. It was beyond anything I could ever describe. And now, you have it too…That same power engulfing your mind, body, and soul."

Suddenly, Jean's hand began to shake and her eyes started to glow. She could feel it welling up inside her, the consciousness of the Phoenix Force. Only now, it was as if her own consciousness was acting along with it. It was as if she was Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force at the same time. And as the gentle flames began to consume her, she felt this strange new connection with Scott attain new levels of mystery.

"**I can feel you…So deeply. Please, I need you. Scott…Horus…My love."**

* * *

Over in the War Room the mutant warrior known as Slayer spent nearly an hour telling Xavier and his X-men the full story. After having come in, abducted Scott, and used him in some bizarre ritual that awakened a cosmic known as Horus, he had quite a few blanks to fill in. The X-men were already very suspicious of him, but they still heard him out. By the time he was done, he had managed to answer a few questions, but that only evoked a plethora of new problems.

"Okay, let me see if I completely understand this…" said Bobby as he, the rest of the X-men, and Slayer all stood in the lower levels of the institute just outside the infirmary, "This Horus thing, as you call it, that has enough power to devour a whole planet has been connected to Scott since he was born."

"Yes, and the same applies to Jean and the Phoenix," affirmed Slayer.

"Right, which is also linked to this thing somehow," said Bobby, already rubbing his head in confusion, "And as of lately, they're both starting to manifest with a vengeance."

"Only for Jean, hers was rushed by the Hellfire Club," added in Ororo, who remembered that little ploy all too well.

"Yeah, can't forget that," muttered Bobby, "And you went along the same lines and brought it out in Scott as well."

"Guilty as charged there," shrugged Slayer, showing he had no qualms about what he had done.

"And on top of it all, this psychotic dark shadow guy who looks like something from a Wes Craven movie is out to take this power for himself."

"Yeah, that would be the Warlord Xin factor," sighed Jack, "He's the reason why I had to abduct Scott and manifest Horus prematurely. And trust me, it would have been MUCH worse if I hadn't."

"Guess we'll have to take your word for it, bub," growled Logan, showing that he still didn't like this guy.

"Okay, so we've got this Horus thing, the Phoenix, and Warlord Xin all coming together in one big mess of conflict and we just happen to be in the middle of it all," said Bobby, finishing up the last part of this complicated story.

"Yeah, I think that pretty much sums it up," said Jack in an almost casual tone.

The X-men all exchanged bewildered looks. They had taken on the Magneto, Weapon X, and the Hellfire Club, but they had never come across something like this. It was a conflict taken right out of the deepest nightmares. And here they were, adrift in this vast sea of complications with little idea on how to handle them.

"Okay, I don't know about you guys, but I'm officially stumped with this one," said Bobby, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"You're not the only one, Iceman," sighed Warren, feeling all too overwhelmed by this whole thing, "We've never dealt with anything like this before! Hell, I never even believed in magic before this!"

"Well believe it rich boy," said Slayer in a strong tone, "Because both real and mystical forces are involved here and if we're to have any hope of resolving this, we're going to have to use both."

"Wonderful. I don't suppose we can solve everything by learning to pull a rabbit out of a hat," said Kitty, her poise now slouched in light of these revelations.

"I never said dealing with the forces of darkness was easy, X-men. There's a lot at stake here and if we don't stop it then you can kiss your home, your dreams, and your asses goodbye."

As the rest of the team struggled to process this, Professor Charles Xavier took a moment to think critically about this. As unbelievable as it sounded, it still involved his students so he had to play a part in this whether he liked it or not. It was a tough thing to wrap his head around, but for the sake of his X-men he was willing to give it a try.

Yet still, his team retained much of their suspicions towards the mutant warrior who seemed to be giving them so many answers.

"Vhat about you, Herr Slayer?" asked Kurt, "Vhy did you get involved?"

"Yeah, bub…What's yer angle?" said Logan in a suspicious tone, "What do you get out of all this?"

"Well, other than a world that isn't free floating cosmic dust, I have my reasons," he said, shooting Logan a stoic glare, "But I doubt you'd understand, let alone believe me. Just bear in mind that I have a history with Warlord Xin. He's been an enemy of mine for some time and he's bested me on several occasions. And I will NOT allow him to win this time."

"Yes, this Warlord Xin seems to be a very large part of the problem here," said Xavier, casting all suspicious aside as he focused further on this important detail, "But who exactly is he? And why hasn't anybody heard of him or…"

However, before Xavier could finish asking the questions, Ororo Munroe gave the answers that she knew all too well.

"I know, Professor," she said in a low, monotone voice.

"Ro?" said Logan in a surprised tone, "What do you mean? You know this guy?"

"Unfortunately, I do," she said with a sigh, "You'd be hard pressed to find somebody in Africa who hasn't in some form or another. He goes by many names, but Warlord Xin is probably the most famous. I know because I heard the stories growing up as a little girl."

"Stories? What kind of stories?" asked a curious Piotr, who had been standing beside Xavier defensively ever since they arrived back with Slayer.

"They were more or less African ghost stories. Warlord Xin was sort of our boogie man. Tales of him go back a long time telling of how he terrorized Africa for centuries with his shadow army. I grew up learning of his cruelty, ruthlessness, and terror and like every other child in Africa, I feared him and had many nightmares about him. And I just…I had no idea he could be real! He was always just a dream…One that everybody dreaded, yet nobody wanted to think about."

"Out of sight, out of mind I take it," summarized Dazzler.

"Sad, but true," said Slayer, stepping in once more to fill in the blanks, "Those stories you heard weren't entirely based in myth, Ms Monroe. Warlord Xin actually did exist. He emerged as a disembodied spirit of several cruel warlords in the Congo that were merged together in an area thick with shadow magic. And when he manifested his full form, he gained complete control over the surrounding shadows and used them to raise a great and powerful army that he could command with impunity."

"So, like, what happened to him?" asked Kitty, finding it very hard to believe, but even harder to deny after seeing it first hand.

"After untold years of terror, a group of powerful shamans and priests pooled their resources and cast a powerful magic spell that imprisoned Warlord Xin and all his armies in the thick, impenetrable jungles from where came. It ended up costing the priests and the shamans their lives, but in the end they successfully contained him."

"So how did he break free?" asked Xavier.

"By pure accident," muttered Slayer in response, "Apparently, there was some expedition into the Congo a few years ago headed by some explorers funded by Wilson Fisk. And given their bias against magic, they accidentally uncovered Warlord Xin's old complex and freed him."

"Jeez, leave it to fat crime lords to release a guy like that," commented Bobby.

"And with no shamans or priests around, I was the one who had to try and contain him," added Slayer with a slight discomfort in his tone, "But as you can probably guess, I haven't been all that successful."

Such words were not too uplifting, especially to Ororo, who found herself shifting in her poise slightly. She didn't like the idea that something from her childhood nightmares was real. But she had seen it with her own eyes. She had experienced it first hand. It truly was a nightmare come to life.

"Great, so how do we stop him?" said Piotr, trying to remain stoic, but a story like this was just too much.

Slayer ran his hands through his messy blonde hair in a show of frustration. He had taken on Warlord Xin many times and despite being a skilled warrior and mystic, he hadn't been able to best the old shadowy force. And now that these X-men were involved, everything was going to become even more complicated because with Warlord Xin, anything was possible.

"For now, we have to take it one crisis at a time," said Slayer, maintaining his stoic poise, "As long as we keep the power of Horus out of Xin's hands, then we should be okay."

"Yeah, some plan, pal!" scoffed Dazzler with a snide tone, "You said it yourself! This thing has power on a cosmic level!"

"Yes, I know, but it's still bound in a mortal vessel," reasoned Slayer.

"You mean Scott," said Kurt.

"Exactly, and as long as Scott can maintain control, then we should be okay. It's just a matter of taking the fight to Xin before he makes his move."

"Whoa, whoa, Slayer man!" shot Ororo in response, "You mean you actually want to go back out there and fight this thing!"

"What did you expect?" quipped the mutant warrior in response, "You think it'll be any better if we just wait around here and let Warlord Xin consolidate his power? Horus may be strong, but as with every powerful force it is completely neutral. Neither good nor evil, it all depends on how it is used. Warlord Xin, on the other hand, is a creature of the shadows. He is evil in a way you can't even dream of. Now I don't know what he's planning, but whatever it is it can't be good!"

"And you believe it has something to do with using the power of Horus for himself?" inquired Xavier, trying to go over every possible angle with this matter.

"I don't just believe it, Professor…I know it!" said Jack as the mark on his eye suddenly started to glow, "I bear the power of the all seeing eye. I can look beyond deceptions and see the truths that have been shrouded in lies! And while I may be bound by human limitations, I can make out enough to know that Warlord wants this power and he wants it bad!"

"And in the hands of someone like him, it's hard to even contemplate zhe kind of destruction he vould cause," made Kurt.

"Which is exactly why we have to stop him! He's way too close to succeeding! I know it! I can't exactly see it, but I can feel it in my bones! He's going to try and tap the power of Horus! He's going to use it to make himself a god!"

"But how in the hell can he do something like that!" exclaimed Warren, still finding this too bizarre even by their standards.

"Yeah, I mean this guy sounds pretty powerful, but even he must have his limits," added Bobby.

"And there in lies the problem, X-men" said Slayer, returning to the conflict at hand, "Of all Xin's plots, none of them have been on this scale. He's a being of the shadows. He shouldn't have the knowledge to pull of an act of mysticism on this scale. It just doesn't add up."

"But you say he's on the verge of succeeding," said Xavier, reiterating that point since he could sense that it was important, "Do you have any idea how this could be?"

"Well, there are some possibilities," said Jack, sifting through is vast mystical knowledge, "Ever since I've been fighting him, he's been using his armies to steal ancient relics from all over the world."

"Ancient relics? Why would he want those?" asked Kitty.

"I assumed it was to help him consolidate his power. But I'm know now that those were probably just steps in a much bigger plan. One of the other things that didn't feel right about our last fight was that he didn't seem to really care much about Scott or Horus. He was more focused on that figurine."

"You mean that doll you were playing with?" said Logan in response.

"That 'doll,' Logan, has a direct link with the power of Horus. It's over 5,000 years old and is laced with some of the most immense mystic forces on the face of the planet. But it's still not strong enough to act on Horus alone. It requires its medium. In other words, it requires Scott. The only conceivable way it could possibly reinstate that kind of power is…"

Suddenly, Jack froze. A heavy silence fell over the group as they saw the change in the mutant warrior's demeanor. Whether or not they trusted him was irrelevant now, for there were far greater forces at work here. Jack knew this all too well and as soon as his mind fell upon one overlooked detail, he found himself in a very precarious position.

"No!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief, "No way! That's not possible! How can it…"

"Huh? What the hell are you babbling about!" yelled Logan, trying to snap him out of his daze.

"It's the only way. There are no other means for him to do it."

"What are you talking about? What means is he using?" asked the Professor anxiously, hoping that whatever had just struck the young warrior, it would provide them with some much needed resources.

Jack Robinson was fell silent as he turned back to face the X-men with a grave look on his face. He felt like kicking himself for not thinking of this sooner because it was the only way this mess could possibly add up. He should have seen it. He should have been able to see through Xin's deception. And now it may be too late.

"He's going to do it. He's going to use it!"

"Use what!" exclaimed the Professor, "What is he going to do to my student!"

"The figure! He must have found the other one too! The one that embodies the Phoenix!"

"There's a Phoenix figurine too!" exclaimed Ororo, "Where did he get that?"

"He probably stole it from the Hellfire Club after they were disbanded! All he needs now is some sort of channeling mechanism for chi. And knowing him, he's already got one!"

"And how in the hell do you know that!" shot Logan.

"You got any other leads, pal!" shot Slayer in a tone leaving no room for argument, "You know anyone else with an all seeing eye! It's explains why he's been stealing ancient relics all this time! Alone, they're can't do much, but used properly they can take a cosmic entity like Horus and work it like a puppet! And with the relics Xin already has, he's got all he needs to make it happen!"

A heavy silence fell over the team as they all tried to make sense of this seemingly impossible scenario before them. They had never dealt with such dark forces before. This was almost beyond their ability to comprehend. Yet here they were caught right in the middle of it all with the lives of two of their friends on the line.

"So then what do we do?" asked Kitty in a weary tone.

"There's not much we can do, I'm afraid," said Slayer in a grim, yet determined tone, "Our only chance is to hit Xin before he hits us!"

"Then what are we waiting for! Let's find him and put him on ice!" said Bobby with an urgent tone.

"Hate to break it to you, Iceman, but I don't know where the hell he is!"

"You gotta be kidding me!" groaned Dazzler, "I thought you said that eye of yours can see everything!"

"That doesn't mean I can't be deceived," replied Slayer with a frustrated tone, "I'm still human. There's only so much my mortal mind can make sense of."

"But isn't there ANYTHING we can do before Warlord Xin comes and throws our souls into his shadow realm!" exclaimed Ororo.

"Calm down, guys," said Slayer, trying to sound calm, "I know it sounds bleak, but…"

Then suddenly, he got another vision. The mark on his eye started to glow bright red and the look on his face immediately turned to dread.

"Oh no…What now?" groaned Piotr, knowing that look couldn't be good.

Slayer was seeing exactly what he had hoped to avoid. And by all accounts, it was already too late.

"He's coming!"

* * *

Eventually, Jean wore herself out clinging to her boyfriend's hand. She was so wrought with worry that she could barely keep her thoughts together and passed out in the chair next to his bed. Dealing with the Phoenix Force and Scott's condition had taken a toll on her. At this point, she didn't have strength to keep herself up.

With her asleep, the infirmary fell quiet. Then, just as she was finally resting peacefully, something began to manifest in the shadows of the cold, sterile room. Like disembodied ghosts of the past, the shadows throughout the room came to life and out of the floor, the elite warriors of Warlord Xin manifested.

They all bore a large cloak, hiding their imposing armor and weapons from sight. Yet they were not here to fight. No, they were just here to carry out the orders of their master. And as their eyes fell on the unconscious body of Scott Summers, they prepared to do just that.

"_Come…The master wants him. And the master, we must obey."_

Like angels of death, they hovered over Scott's bed, ignoring the sleeping Jean Grey beside them. More shadows gathered as they prepared to move the unconscious vessel to its rightful place amongst their master. But before they could finish the job, the doors to the infirmary flew open.

"Not so fast, ugly!" yelled Slayer, bearing his full sword as he prepared to tear into the three minions.

"Yeah, step the fuck back from the bed or I fry your eye out of your sockets!" yelled Dazzler as she and the rest of the X-men followed behind them.

However, just before Slayer could attack, one of the minions cast a spell that created a shadow barrier between them and the oncoming hoard of angry mutants.

"_Pitiful mortals! Nobody can stop the master! Especially such lowly insects!"_

"Err! You lousy, nauseating excuse for henchmen!" yelled Slayer as he tried to cut through the dark purplish barrier that was keeping him and the X-men from saving Scott, "Drop this barrier and fight like warriors!"

"Damn it! What is this thing!" yelled Logan as he tried to slice through it with his claws.

"A dark chi shield!" grunted Slayer as he kept trying to break it with his sword, "One so strong that nothing goes through unless the practitioner wishes it!"

"Yes, we sort of figured that!" said Colossus as he tried to punch through it with his superhuman strength.

The shield held strong as the three minions created a shadowy swirl of dark chi around Scott's unconscious body. They ignored the determined resistance that was now trapped before them. It would have been humorous if such things hadn't been instilled in them in the first place. But while Slayer in the X-men were trapped behind a shield, they seemed to negate the fact that Jean Grey was still sleeping on the other side.

"Jean! JEAN!" yelled Kurt through the barrier.

"Come on, Jeannie! Wake up!" yelled Kitty as well, "Now is NOT the time to take a nap!"

Then suddenly, Slayer stopped trying to break the barrier as the mark over his eye began to flash bright yellow. And as soon as his gaze fell upon Jean, he was overcome with a new sense of dread.

"Oh shit!"

"**Hnn…Scott!"**

"Oh boy, I don't like the sound of that!" said Bobby as he took a step back.

The whole team stopped trying to break the barrier as they watched the familiar flames of the Phoenix engulf their friend. The three minions were just about done with their task when finally…The power of the Phoenix made itself known.

"**YOU! GET AWAY FROM HIM FOUL CREATURES!"**

However, even in the face of a cosmic force the three minions remained loyal to Warlord Xin and completed their job, sending the body of Scott Summers into a dark void that engulfed him in a haze of shadows, causing him to disappear right before their very eyes.

"_You are too late, Phoenix. Now, the master has the vessel of Horus! And he shall wield its power!"_

"**NOOOOOOO!"**

Then, in a blinding flash of fiery light, the Phoenix disembodied the three dark minions into nothingness. The body of Jean Grey was now running on the cosmic power of the Phoenix. She was engulfed in flames, blinded by rage, and full of pure unabated rage.

"Oh boy, this is NOT good!" dreaded Bobby.

"Oh really, you think!" growled Logan.

Everybody turned to Slayer, who had been the only one capable of containing her before.

"Come on, Slayer! Do your mystic shit again before she goes nuclear!" yelled Dazzler.

Everything in the room was shaking. Jean Grey was not in control. The heat from her flames kept on growing and anything that could be telekinetically moved was thrown through the air as a deadly projectile.

'Jean! JEAN!' yelled Xavier through his mind, trying to reach out to her on a psychic level, 'Come back to us, Jean! Regain control!'

However, this time the Phoenix would not go quietly.

"**I don't think so Professor Xavier!"**

Suddenly, the Professor's wheelchair was hit with a heavy telekinetic burst that sent him crashing into a nearby wall, causing him to keel over in a heap of pain.

"Professor!" cried Warren as he tried to get over to their downed mentor through the hail of metal objects.

"Jean! Stop this!" yelled Ororo, trying to get through to her friend, "You can do it! You can take control!"

"**Damn it, I AM in control! I shall NOT be held back any further! Jean Grey and the power of the Phoenix shall merge as one! And nothing will hold me back now! NOTHING!"**

The whole infirmary was turning into a small piece of hell for the X-men as the whirlwind of debris grew increasingly menacing. Warren and Dazzler were trying to get to the Professor, who was now rubbing his sore temples from being so abruptly shoved out of Jean's mind. But it wasn't looking good, for if Xavier was unable to contain this thing, then who could?

"Anytime Slayer!" yelled Logan as he tried to protect Ororo and Kitty from incoming projectiles.

"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!" yelled the mutant warrior as he deflected several incoming surgical tools, "This is the Phoenix! A cosmic force! We can't just…"

Then suddenly, an idea came to the mutant warrior. It sounded crazy and desperate, but at the moment it was all he could come up with.

"Uh…Dude? If you stop this, consider our little beef with you officially forgiven!" yelled Bobby, trying to create an ice shield to protect himself and Kurt from the menacing swarm.

"I'll second that, comrade!" said Piotr taking cover with Wolverine as Jack remained steadfast in his confrontation with the Phoenix.

Everybody was trying to get out of the way from the growing maelstrom. Everybody that is, except Jack. The swirl of raw telekinetic mayhem was growing increasingly strong, yet the mutant warrior didn't flinch for a second.

"Phoenix!" he said in a strong tone, "You must stop this! You're angry and confused. You have no clue as to kind of power you wield. And your actions will not get Horus back any faster."

"**Ha! You think you have a right to speak down to ME! You're the one who kidnapped him! Give me one good I shouldn't disintegrate you right now!"**

Then, in a show of defiance and strength, Jack Robinson raised both hand into the air and showed the divine force the symbols atop his hands. And while the Phoenix didn't recognize them immediately, Slayer knew that they would get the message across better than anything.

"Because I am Jack Robinson. I am a warrior. And like you, I wield the powers of the divine. I am the mortal vessel of the immortal spirit known as Yoshinto, the collective embodiment of all warriors, past and present. I bear the power of the all seeing eye. I wield great skill in the mystic arts. And I carry on the legacy of the greatest warriors to ever wield a sword."

Such words shocked and confused the X-men, but for the Phoenix, something seemed to resonate with her as she took in those words. The swirling fury of telekinetic power began to fade and everything was becoming calmer. It was an enigmatic gesture, but for the results they were getting, they had no reason to complain.

"Jeez, just when you think you know a guy," commented Kitty.

"I'll say," said Kurt in agreement.

The fury settled, but the Phoenix remained in control. Jean Grey was still being suppressed, but there weren't even signs of an inner struggle. At this point, all the X-men could do was watch on and hope that this guy knew what he was doing.

"**Yoshinto…Slayer…Yes. I remember that divine figure. I remember his wise voice. And you are his mortal embodiment?"**

"Yes," affirmed Slayer, "Just as Jean Grey is yours, I am Yoshinto's manifestation. If you don't believe me, go ahead and check."

The still possessed form of Jean Grey stepped forward and stood a mere couple of feet from the mutant warrior. He showed no fear or apprehension towards the presence of the divine force, almost as if this wasn't the first time he had done so. But still, nervousness pervaded among the worried team of mutants.

"I sure hope this guy knows what he's doing," said Warren as he helped the Professor back into his wheelchair.

"You and me both, rich boy," replied Logan skeptically as they all watched on.

The next few moments were very tense as the Phoenix locked eyes with Slayer, as if she was looking at something that could not be seen with mortal eyes. Nobody knew if this was a bluff or not, but for all their sake they hoped that this guy wasn't bullshitting her.

Finally, the Phoenix reached a verdict.

"**Yes! You are him! It IS you!"**

"You betcha Phoenix," said Slayer with a confident poise.

"**But…How? And why?"**

"Because I had a vision. I saw that you and Horus were descending into a state of chaos. And if that chaos is not balanced, then the both of you could unleash a level of destruction on a cosmic scale. And that is something that I, and the rest of the divine forces both above and below, cannot have. So I'm going to help you."

"**Help me?"**

"Yes, help you," said Slayer as he placed both hands on the possessed woman's shoulders, "You are confused about your state of being…Uncertain of your purpose. I can show you how to find your balance. I can show you how to attain the peace you so desperately seek."

"**Peace…Balance…Yes! Please help me! I…I don't know what to do!"**

"Just look me in the eye, Phoenix," said Jack as the mark over his eye began to glow a bright yellow color, "Look into the eye that sees no lies. Look at it…Use it…Feel it. Find your center. Seek a balance. Come on! You can do it!"

The Phoenix began to show signs of instability as the fires around her grew more intense. But as she looked into the mutant warrior's all seeing eye, she was bombarded with a stream of new images. And from those images, she saw what she was becoming…And knew what she had to do.

"**Errrrahhhhhhhhh!"**

"GET DOWN!" yelled Wolverine everybody scrambled to take cover.

"Oh boy! Here we go again!" said Bobby as he formed another ice shield for the coming havoc.

Then, in a blinding flash, the fires of the Phoenix were extinguished and Jean Grey's limp form fell to the cold floor. However, before she could collapse, Jack managed to catch her, helping her stay upright as she struggled to regain her composure.

"Jean!" exclaimed Kitty as she and the others scrambled towards their friend's side.

"Jean! Are you okay? Are you in control again?" asked a weary Piotr.

Then, as she opened her eyes, everybody was shocked to see the fiery glow in her iris. It still resembled that of the Phoenix, but the expression was that of Jean Grey. Nobody knew what to believe at this point, but for the distraught young redhead, the task before her was finally clear.

"Jean…" said the Professor, wheeling himself in close to the young woman.

"Professor…" said Jean, her eyes still glowing as she now addressed all her friends, "I know where he is! I know where Warlord Xin is keeping Scott!"

* * *

AN: Man, things sure are a mess now! Scott's been abducted, the Phoenix is going haywire, and the team is beginning to get an idea of just what they're up against. Quite a predicament, eh? But it's just getting warmed up, folks! Stay tuned to see how Warlord Xin seeks to use Scott and Horus and just wait until you see the role that the Phoenix plays! Oh, and for those of you who were confused by Slayer's words, that can all be explained by reading his origins in chapter 70 of a fic I helped write called "Hellfire and Brimstone" under Agent-G. That has a full history of who Slayer is and where he came from. So what do you think so far? Has it been good? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you very much for reading and I wish you all the best!

PHOENIX AND HORUS COMMAND THEE! REVIEW!


	7. The Ritual

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 7: The Ritual**

****

* * *

Everybody stood anxiously as they watched the fires of the Phoenix surround Jean Grey. Oddly enough, she didn't look as though she was in any kind of discomfort. It was as if both she and the Phoenix were being expressed simultaneously. That was still a danger for the X-men, but for Slayer it was just what he needed because in this state, Jean and Phoenix could find what they were looking for.

"I…I can feel him, Professor," said Jean, her voice mixing with the tone of the Phoenix, "I can feel Scott through a link. I…I don't know what Xin is doing to him, but…"

"Jean…Please be calm," said the Professor, trying to use his powers to put some blocks on her mind to mitigate her growing potential, "We'll help him. But you need to calm down and let me help you regain control so we can…"

Then, a sudden burst of flames caused everybody to fall back. Such words seemed to agitate the Phoenix, which was something they definitely didn't want to deal with at this point.

"Uh…Somethin' tells me that ain't what she wants, Chuck," said Logan, still rubbing his head from the earlier blasts.

The psychic probes of Charles Xavier halted as the fires around Jean grew more intense. But it wasn't the chaotic, uncontrolled force that they had seen her deal with before. If anything, it looked as though it was all under Jean's whim.

"**No! No more blocks. No more hindrances. I DON'T need control, Professor! I HAVE control!"**

"Whoa there, Jean! Come back to us, girl! Don't let this thing overtake you!" urged Kitty, casting her friend a worried glance.

"It's not overtaking me, damn it!" yelled Jean, growing increasingly frustrated, "I'm accepting it! Like it or not, this thing is a part of me. It's a part of me in the same way Horus is a part of Scott. I felt that when I sensed him. And if Warlord Xin takes that power for himself, then that part of him will be gone and…"

Waves of tears formed in her fiery eyes as she spoke those words. She could feel him so deeply within her mind. Jack's eye had shown that to her. And now, she just wanted him back. She wanted to save the man she loved. Both as the Phoenix and as Jean Grey, she had to save this man. She couldn't lose him.

"It's okay, Jean," said Slayer in a calm tone as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "We'll get Scott back. And we'll get Horus back as well. You know where he is now so we can save him! We can take on Warlord Xin and stop him before he assimilates with this power! He'll do ANYTHING to have it, regardless of what happens to Scott as a result. We must stop him!"

That was all the team needed to hear. Aside from the inherent difficulty of trusting a guy that had come in to the institute and kicked their butts, they had little doubts after their previous battle that Warlord Xin was a much bigger problem. And if he was going to hurt their friend, then he was going to have to go through them first.

"Zhen vhat are ve vaiting for?" said Kurt, always one to take on a demon, probably as some subconscious, self fulfilling need, "Let's go find Scott and stop zhis guy!"

"Oh boy…I was afraid of that," said Ororo, trying to keep her poise since battling her childhood nightmare was certainly not something she wanted to face.

"You and me both, Ororo," said Warren, feeling way out of his league.

"Oh don't worry, cutie. I'll protect you," grinned Dazzler, helping to boost her boyfriend's spirits.

The others, however, seemed more determined about finding their captive friend and saving him from this jungle madman.

"Leave it to one-eye to bring on a guy like this," growled Logan, "So where is he?"

"Where else?" said Jean, her body still engulfed by the flames of the Phoenix, "He's in the one place he feels right at home…The jungles of the Congo."

* * *

In the jungles of central Africa, a thick layer of darkened sky now hovered over a section of tall canopy. The sound of weary animals crying out in distress, echoed all through the trees, as if they could sense the coming darkness. In the center of it all was an old, desolate looking structure that had been hidden by the trees for centuries. Only now, it had a couple of new occupants.

"Yes! The temple of creation and destruction…Finally, uncovered after over a millennia!" proclaimed Warlord Xin as he and his army surrounded the structure, "At long last, the great power of the cosmos will be mine to wield. The immortal force of Horus, son of Re, shall make me invincible!"

The shadows around the ancient structure swirled in a cyclone of darkness as Warlord Xin emerged from the dark crevices of the abyss and stood before the sacrificial chamber in the center of the structure. It was not at all unlike the one in Egypt, only this one was nearly twice as big and twice as vital to the forces it so revered.

"The final piece of the ritual is in place!" he said as he took out the amber figurine of Horus and set it next to a similar relic of the Phoenix.

With both sacred objects in hand, he set them both down upon a stone altar with a crystal skull in the center. And the moment that the two figurines were set side by side…Something began to happen within the old temple.

"This is it! Rise my pretty! Rise!"

Tremors shot through the fragile earth below as massive chunks of land gave way to a now rising structure. What was once no bigger than the temple in Egypt was now growing to nearly twice its previous size. It rose through the jungle canopy like a sword piercing an impenetrable veil and once its peak found a clear view of the sky, the top of the structure began to glow a sinister red color which seemed to fuel the darkening clouds swirling above.

"So beautiful…" mused Xin, sounding half deranged and half determined as he looked up at the now glowing roof, "And now for the main guest of honor."

The shadows around him came to life as one of his elite guards arose in the center of the altar. But when he formed, he didn't form alone. In his arms, he had a still unconscious Scott Summers, the living medium of the power that Warlord Xin was desperately trying to claim as his own.

"Set him in the center," he ordered as he gathered up the last of his supplies, "The ritual must be finished before that meddlesome warrior and his freak show arrive!"

Obediently, the minion complied and set the young man down in the center of the chamber. It wasn't that much different from the first one he had been in with that Slayer guy, but there were a few key discrepancies, most notably the size. It was almost as if it was meant for more than one being.

"Now let the ceremony begin!" exclaimed the jungle bred madman, feeling so close to the power he craved.

The two figurines on the altar began to glow as Warlord Xin passed his hand over the two relics. All the torches illuminating the room began to shift from a purplish blue flame to a golden yellow flame as the ancient ritual began. And in the center of it all, Scott Summers lay in the chamber as the luckless victim of Xin's will.

"Ugh…Wha…What's going on?" he groaned, managing to come to just in time for the opening procedures.

"Relax boy. It'll all be over soon!"

"Huh? Over? I…"

Suddenly, he felt a stabbing pain all throughout his body. And through the vast chambers of the temple, his cries echoed all throughout the ancient walls.

"AHHHHHHHHH! NO! NO! STOP IT! I…AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

But Warlord Xin had no qualms about causing this boy pain. If that's what he had to go through in order for him to get what he wanted, then so be it.

"Yes! YES! The power…So primal and vast. It is too much for a mere mortal to handle! You are not worthy of wielding the power of the cosmos! Only the strong and the just can manage such a force!"

"**YOU…WILL…BURN!"**

"Ha! Don't make me laugh!" scoffed Warlord Xin as the altar began to glow and the whole structure began to shake, "You may have been linked to this power since your birth, but it is I that shall sever that bond once and for all! And once the power of Horus is cut from its mortal host, I shall be the one true vessel now and for all eternity!"

"ERRRAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Warlord Xin began to chant, the ancient spell of the great cosmic forces now coming into full swing. The enigmatic words, spoken in a language that hadn't been uttered for millennia, seemed to cause both Scott and Horus great pain. And through this immense torment, both beings found themselves reaching outwards, attempting to contact the one force it craved over all others.

"**Jean…Help me."**

* * *

The X-men were in the air over the Atlantic Ocean speeding towards the Congo at full throttle. This time, the Professor was coming with them, hoping that his psychic powers would prove useful against Warlord Xin's forces while also serving as a means to stabilize both Phoenix and Horus if the need arose.

But at the moment, Jean was still caught between herself and the Phoenix. Her eyes still blared with the raging passion of the powerful entity. And while she seemed to be maintaining control for the most part, the others kept their distance. Yet Slayer stayed close by her side, looking ready at a moment's notice to spring into action and use his magic to keep the Phoenix at bay.

"Can't this thing go any faster, Logan? We're running out of time here!" said Jack, growing increasingly impatient.

"We're already going at mach 6, bub! So if you know of any way to go faster, then by all means!" shot Logan in response as he sat with the Professor in the cockpit.

"Yeah, Mr. Samurai. Just chill, alright? We know the kind of shit that's at stake here," said Dazzler.

"Oh that's where I think you're mistaken, Alison," said Slayer firmly, "I don't think any of you have the slightest clue as to just what it is you're dealing with here!"

"Hey, well EXCUSE US for being caught up in this mess because of our friend!" shot Iceman in response, "Remember Slayer, you're the one who started this!"

Jack let out a frustrated grunt as he ran his hands through his messy blonde hair. He may have been a master swordsman, but he just plain sucked when it came to social skills. He wasn't used to working in a team. It just wasn't his style. Besides, he had allowed himself to grow close to people before and that just ended in more pain in the ever tragic story that was his life.

"Look, I'm sorry you guys got dragged into this, alright?" he said, trying to sound sincere, "But the kinds of forces we're dealing with here are forces that could not only end this world, but many other worlds as well. Both Phoenix and Horus are cosmic level entities. And Warlord Xin is a deranged demonic spirit that wants that level of power for himself. Besides, I have a history with this guy. And if anybody's going to send him back to the abyss he came from, it's gonna be me!"

As enigmatic as Slayer's presence still was to the team, that last part was relatively easy to understand, especially for those such as Logan who knew all too well the kind of drive that vengeance could give a person. For others, however, that wasn't quite enough.

"So that's it?" said Piotr, casting the mutant warrior an unconvinced glance, "That is what's been driving since the beginning? Vengeance for this Xin character?"

"You may think that, Colossus, but no," replied Jack in a more collected tone, "Vengeance is pretty low on my list of reasons for doing this. Granted, it's there, but it's not what I fight for."

"Then why are you doing this, Slayer?" asked the Professor, a hint of curiosity in his tone, "Why are you going to such lengths with this? Facing cosmic forces and demon entities?"

"Simple Professor. I am a warrior. And like I've said before, I am a unique warrior. I'm a mutant, I'm a mystic, and I'm a fighter. And as you all recently found out, I too am a mortal manifestation of an immortal deity. And in a world like this, so full of lies and uncertainty, it's hard to really pinpoint something concrete that's worth fighting for. There really aren't a lot of things out there worth bearing your heart and soul for. I think the lot of you have figured that in your respective quests."

A few people seemed to shift uncomfortably at that, namely Logan, who had actually been sent in to kill the Professor at one point, Ororo, who was a petty car thief looking at some rather extensive jail time, and Dazzler, who only joined up because the record deal with that Emma Frost woman tanked.

For Slayer, however, it was clear that there was something that drove him to do these things…Something very powerful and solid.

"Make no mistake, my life has sucked ass since the day I was born," he went on, "You all think you've got problems, well guess what…Everybody does. Some just happen to have them more than others. I'm not a being transcendent being from a higher dimension. I was born in San Francisco. And if you knew what I lived through then you'd probably agree with me when I say that I definitely fit into that category."

"So if your life sucked so much then just why are you doing this?" asked Warren, his young and curious mind growing all the more intrigued.

"For a principle that's worth fighting to the death for…A cause I've dedicated my life to. I don't do what I do for peace, justice, or vengeance. I do what I do for honor…No more, no less."

It was an unexpected answer from the ever enigmatic warrior that had so abruptly come into their lives. But for a few, it made sense. And when he put it in this manner, it really did put his actions into perspective.

"Honor?" said Kitty, her young mind finding such a concept strange, yet understandable.

"Yes, honor. Simple, yet profound…Ambiguous, yet solid," said Jack in a definitive tone, "It's what drives me even when the odds are stacked against me. I've been doing this for many years and through victory and defeat, it still guides me through every challenge I face."

"Dude…Do you have any idea how historically lame that is?" scoffed Dazzler.

"I don't expect you to understand it," said Jack indifferently, "But regardless of what you think of me, we must work together if we're to save your friend, not to mention the whole world. It is our duty to fight with our hearts and souls to overcome our foes. The stakes couldn't be higher and it's all a matter of fighting with all your might until the bitter end. That, I think we can all agree, is true honor."

"Honor," said Jean, finding such words to hold a strange resonance with her as she felt the power of the Phoenix still active inside her, "Yes…I understand."

The powerful entity from within continued to stir as if it was invigorated by Jack's words. Such activity didn't go unnoticed by the others, who were still afraid of having Jean go on another one of her power trips.

"Jean…Jean, are you still with us?" said Ororo.

Jean tried hard to maintain a sense of balance between her and this force inside her, but it was proving increasingly difficult. The more she seemed to accept this force, the harder it was to maintain her identity and poise as Jean Grey.

"Yeah, Ro. I'm fine. I just…AHHHHHHHH!"

Then suddenly, she was hit by something that struck her down to her very core. It was unseen, unheard, and unsensed by everyone except her. Yet in her mind, she knew what it was and it didn't bode well for their chances.

"Jean? Jean!" said the Professor as he watched Kurt, Bobby, and Kitty surrounded their weary friend.

"Yo, Jean. Come back to us, girl!" urged Kitty.

"Yeah, now is NOT the time to go Hulk on us!" said Bobby.

But before they could all take a step closer, Jean's whole body flashed a bright, fiery yellow color and they all took a step back, watching anxiously as they took in her passionate, glowing eyes.

"I've got a bad feeling about zhis," mused Kurt.

"That makes two of us," added Warren.

Then, she let out another loud cry of pain as she suddenly grasped her head in agony.

"Jean!" yelled Slayer as he quickly went to her side, unafraid of facing the Phoenix, "Jean, what's going…"

"**It's Scott!"**

The sound of her deeper, more menacing voice did little to comfort everybody as the plane shook in a strange fury of turbulence.

"Ah shit! Of all the times for her to go nuclear," grunted Logan, finding it increasingly difficult to control the aircraft.

"**Something's wrong! He's in pain! Both Scott and Horus are in great pain!"**

"Damn! Xin must be starting the ritual!" cursed Slayer.

"You mean the one where he rips out that fiery bird thing and takes it for himself?" said Kitty anxiously.

"Unfortunately yes! And he's doing it a lot sooner than I had expected!"

"**It's too soon! We must get to him!"**

"But we've got another 45 minutes before we can even get over Congo airspace!" said Ororo, the turbulence growing progressively worse.

"**That's not soon enough! We MUST save him! Even if that means pushing ourselves to the limit!"**

"Oh shit…" said Jack, knowing all too well what was about to come next.

"Oh shit! What do you mean oh shit!" yelled Logan from the cockpit.

Slayer's all seeing eye flashed a bright golden yellow. The turbulence may have been tough now, but what they were about to face was going to make it look miniscule at best.

"Uh, guys…I'd get down and hang on if I were you."

"Oh God…I hate it when someone says that," groaned Bobby as he and the others hit the floor.

"Here goes my dinner for the next three days," groaned Kitty.

"Just stay down and count to ten, comrade. With any luck, it'll all be over quickly," said Colossus, hoping to whatever higher power there was out there that he was right.

Everybody, even the Professor and Logan, had taken cove now as the plane was taken over by the power of the Phoenix. The glowing aura of the entity was too bright to even stare at directly and everybody was shielding their eyes from the blinding glow. All the while, the Phoenix made its move so she could save her ailing love.

"**My love…Here I come."**

Then, in a show of raw, primal power…Jean Grey used the power of the Phoenix to form a majestic firebird around the speeding jet and once it was engulfed in its power, it soared through the air at speeds that would have put starships to shame. A protective telekinetic bubble safeguarded her friends from the crushing G-forces, but that didn't stop them from feeling a hard thud as the jet came to a sudden and abrupt stop, almost as if it had been dropped like a toy.

Finally, as the fires faded, their current surroundings became clear. They were no longer flying, the engines were shut down, and they had safely landed on a solid surface.

"Ugh…Is it over?" groaned Dazzler, feeling all the contents of her stomach practically doing backflips.

"I don't know. Are we dead yet?" groaned Warren in response.

Then, as they all came too, they saw Jean faint from her exertion.

"**Nnn…"**

However, Jack was there to catch her just as he came to. While the others may not have been familiar with the power of mystical transportation, he was seasoned enough to know just what the Phoenix had done.

"Cosmic transport spell…The only way to travel," said the mutant warrior in amazement as he helped Jean stay on her feet.

"Next time I think I'll take the bus," muttered Ororo.

"Yes, I believe I'll be skipping dinner tonight," added Kurt as he managed to return to his feet.

"Don't even mention food, Nightcrawler," said Bobby with a nauseous groan.

One by one, the team regained their composure, paying close attention to the Professor because of his handicap. But for a guy in a wheelchair, he really was a hardened fighter despite having gone on such a wild ride.

"Are you okay, Professor?" asked Ororo as she and Logan helped him back into his chair.

"Yes, I'll be fine," he said shaking his head clear of the experience and refocusing on the task at hand.

"Where are we?" said a still confused Kitty Pryde.

"See for yourself, Katya," said Piotr as he directed her attention towards the windows.

Everybody then turned their respective gazes towards the openings and what they saw was definitely not a welcoming sight.

"Oh crap. Please don't tell me we have to go in there to save Scott," groaned Iceman.

"Fine, I won't tell you. We'll just go," said Slayer, showing no fear as he took in what now lay before them.

The size of the temple was imposing and dark, like a living shadow shooting up from the thick jungle canopy. There were vast clouds of darkness swirling about the entire structure, most likely the protective forces of Warlord Xin.

The Phoenix had been kind enough to create a sizable clearing in the jungle for the plane to land, leaving them only a short trek through the thick bush to their target. But with the sky darkening with ominous shroud above and the glowing peak at the top of the structure, it looked like a daunting task to say the least.

"And I thought the last temple was bad," muttered Warren, "So how do we do this Mr. Slayer?"

Jack's eye started to glow as he got a few brief glimpses into the darkened structure.

"He's already begun the ritual! Best estimates, we have no more than 15 minutes to stop it, otherwise he'll have the power of Horus for himself and once he's got that it's pretty much over."

Such grim chances prompted a reaction from the still tired Phoenix, which was growing increasingly irked the longer they waited.

"**That WON'T happen! I won't allow it!"**

"Jean! Please!" urged the Professor, "Try to control yourself! We can't afford any chaotic power surges!"

"**You worry about your problems, Professor! I'll worry about mine!"**

Then, in a show of defiance, the Phoenix shook off her fatigue and burst through the hatch of the plane, stepping out into the humid jungle air with the imposing temple still in her sights. At this point, she could care less about petty things like control or power. Right now, her love was in danger and that's all that mattered.

"You heard the woman, let's go!" said Slayer as he followed suit.

"What! But what about…" began Ororo, but Slayer didn't listen.

"Warren and Kitty should stay behind and protect the Professor in case Warlord Xin sends some of his goons. The rest of us should plow ahead and stop that ritual!"

"Wait…Why us!" exclaimed Kitty.

"Yeah, why do they get to be the lucky ones who stay behind?" added Bobby.

"Because they have powers that are defensive and you all have powers that are offensive! I'd love to get into other tactical reasons, but we're kind of working against the clock here! Now are you with me or not!"

There wasn't much time for debate. Even Wolverine knew that. The sight of the menacing temple was not too comforting. And with forces like Phoenix and Horus to worry about, they did not have the luxury of contemplation.

"Good enough for me," grunted Logan, cracking his neck in preparation for battle, "Come on team! Let's get in there and pay Mr. Jungle nut a visit!"

"Right behind you Logan!" said Dazzler, the rainbow colored sparks of her powers already beginning to manifest, "Come on pussies! Let's go!"

"Ugh, this day just keeps getting better and better," groaned Ororo, still not too thrilled about having to face her childhood monster.

"I hear you, Storm," said Bobby as he followed her out, "But the sooner we stop this freaky ritual thing, the sooner we can get home and watch Survivor!"

As the last of the strike team left, the Professor was left with no other choice but to wish his team well.

'Good luck my X-men. Be strong, be safe, and above all…Be ready.'

Kitty and Warren could only watch as the others followed Jean towards the structure. It was by no means comforting as the skies overhead grew increasingly ominous, hinting that the ritual was progressing at full force. Up until today, their knowledge of the mystical had been antiquated at best. But now they were diving head first into an epic battle between physical and metaphysical forces.

Slayer had proven himself to be an enigmatic character, yet he had provided them with support despite their earlier confrontation. Now it was a matter of seeing just how dedicated he was to this cause of his. And from the looks of it, they were going to need all the help they could get.

"So what do we do now, Professor?" asked Warren, the sight of the temple sending chills up and down his spine, especially with Alison going in there, "Can we really trust this Slayer guy?"

"I don't think we have a choice now, my boy," answered Xavier in a solemn tone, "But so far, he has shown himself to be genuinely dedicated to his personal sense of honor."

"But are you sure he's, like, being totally honest with us?" asked Kitty, "For all we know, he could just be jerking our chain."

"I understand your suspicions, Kitty," said the Professor as he wheeled himself back to the cockpit so he could man the psychic monitoring components, "But while I was unable to sense anything from his mind, my instinct tells me he's being truthful. I can't think of many other people who would risk so much to partake in something like this. But for now, let us focus on the task at hand and save Scott."

All Warren and Kitty could do was concede to the Professor's orders and exchange worried looks. It was one thing to go up against anti-mutant forces like Weapon X or power hungry psychopaths like Magneto, but these were the forces of darkness they were dealing with. Warlord Xin was in a league all his own.

Add to that, they were dealing with Phoenix and Horus, two forces of divine power. It was enough to make any theologian bang his head against a wall.

"Do you really think Scott and Jean are some kind of embodiment of real, actual gods like Slayer says they are?" Warren found himself asking, still unable to wrap his head around this whole cosmic power thing.

As a man of science, the Professor steered clear of such thoughts from the beginning going all the way back to Jean's manifestation of the Phoenix. But the more he and his team experienced this phenomenon, the more difficult it was to deny the sheer scope of just what, and who for that matter, they were dealing with.

"Try not to think of it in terms of divinity my boy," said the Professor as he put on a mini-Cerebro like helmet so he could actively sense the activity of his students, "We'll deal with Phoenix and Horus when the time comes. And for all our sake, I hope we can do something. Because from what I've sensed, we are dealing with very immense powers. And if they're not stopped, then the universe itself could be in grave danger."

* * *

AN: Here it comes…Dun dun dun…Dramatic pause! Another epic fight scene is about to manifest between the forces of darkness and light! It's all coming together soon and you won't want to miss it! So what do you think? Has this story been a good read so far? Please tell me! Send me your feedback via email or post it on the fanfiction website! I don't care which one you do as long as you REVIEW! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish each and every one of you the best!

IT'S COMING! IT'S COMING! REVIEW WHILE YOU STILL CAN!


	8. Chaos

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 8: Chaos**

****

* * *

Through the thick jungle brush of the Congo jungle, Slayer, Logan, Ororo, Bobby, Dazzler, Piotr, and Kurt pushed through to the base of the temple. Jean was still ahead of them…Or at least, they thought it was Jean. She was still surrounded in the flames of the Phoenix and talking in two different voices. It was hard to know if she was still herself, but at the moment they had other problems to worry about.

"Get ready guys! I get the feeling that Warlord Xin's may send us a welcoming party," said Slayer, the mark on his eye glowing red as he took in the shadowy temple.

"Fine by me. Sounds like MY kind of party anyways!" growled Logan, his claws drawn and ready for anything.

"You and me, both Logan!" said Dazzler, looking ready for action.

"Why couldn't I have just called in sick today?" groaned Bobby, not sharing the same enthusiasm.

"Oh buck up, comrade!" said Piotr, sticking close to his whining friend, "Just, try to take your anger out on Warlord Xin."

"Easier said than done," sighed Ororo, still weary of fighting this entity that had been a part of every African child's nightmares.

The telepathic guidance of the Professor pushed them forward with the power of Phoenix leading the way. But as Jack as had warned, Warlord Xin was not taking any chances and several of his elite guard arose from the shadows along with a platoon of minions.

"_Insolent mortals! You shall not pass! The ritual shall be complete!"_

"Yeah, yeah…I know the drill," said an exasperated Slayer as he drew his magic sword, "Just be sure to send Mr. Jungle Shithead a message…He's still as ugly as an elephants ass."

"Bub, I know this sounds crazy, but I'm startin' to like ya!" grinned Logan.

However, the minions of Warlord Xin were not amused to say the least as their eyes began to glow bright red.

"_You shall pay for your disrespect! The power of Horus is almost within the hands of our master! And rest assured, you will be the first to suffer his wrath!"_

"**My love…NO!"**

"Oh boy, something tells me zhat zhis is going to get messy," mused Kurt as the ever volatile Phoenix grew more agitated.

"In that case, I guess it's good that I didn't wear clean underwear to day," said Bobby.

"Ugh, Bobby! Too much info!" exclaimed Ororo.

"Hey, these guys are still uglier," grinned Dazzler, her powers now illuminating the dense jungle shadows, "So let's rock!"

Just like last time, they were outnumbered and surrounded. But unlike last time, the stakes were higher and there was no element of surprise for Warlord Xin's minions. After facing them before, the X-men were more hardened towards the minions of darkness and armed with a strong resolve to save their friend and stop Warlord Xin no matter what he threw at them.

"Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit the floooooor!" yelled Dazzler, reciting more of her favorite rock lyrics from Drowning Pool as she unleashed a barrage of energy sparks that blinded and obliterated the dark minions.

"Nice touch, Ali!" yelled Slayer as he used his warrior skills to cut through several menacing minions who tried to dogpile him with some quick spin moves, "But try a different band every now and then!"

"Hey! You've got your tastes, warrior boy! I've got mine! And it fucking works!" she yelled, using the sound to create more energy bursts that mowed down waves of minions.

While Dazzler and Slayer took care of the initial rush, Storm was already high in the air creating cyclones so that no further rushes could be made. It was clear that these dark warriors relied heavily on numbers, but numbers wouldn't mean much if they couldn't get close.

"Guys! I'm trying to hold them back! But there's too many!" yelled Ororo as she stepped up the winds of her little cyclone to that of an F3 tornado.

"Its okay, Ro! You're doin' great!" encouraged Logan as he ripped through several oncoming minions, "Just keep as many back as ya can and we'll take care of the rest!"

"Yeah, piece of cake. I hope…" said Iceman as he was hit hard from the side by an oncoming minion.

"Don't worry, Iceman! I've got your back!" yelled Colossus as he charged the minion who hit his friend and knocked him into the next time zone with a forceful blow.

"It's not my back I'm worried about dude," groaned Bobby as he rubbed his now sore head, "These things are trying to take our heads off!"

"Yeah, that's one thing I forgot to mention about Warlord Xin…" grunted Slayer as he did a few quick slashes and eviscerated several more defending guards, "He likes to cut off the heads of his enemies and keep them as trophies."

"Great, NOW you tell us!" dreaded Bobby, now feeling lucky that he was only rammed and not decapitated.

The fight raged on, wasting precious seconds while the ritual continued inside. Slayer knew it, Jean knew it, and Warlord Xin knew it. These minions weren't meant to kill them. They were just meant to slow them down. Slayer and Logan tried to slice their way through to the entrance, but Warlord Xin's elite guard kept summoning more minions to keep them at bay. And with no shortage of shadows under the jungle canopy, there were plenty of minions to go around.

Dazzler and Iceman were staying close behind Jack and Logan, using their powers at a distance in order to keep the swarming minions off their backs. Colossus and Nightcrawler guarded the flanks, using their hand to hand fighting skills to push back those who managed to endure Ororo's wind storms. And even though the young weather witch remained high above the chaos, occasionally calling lightning strikes on particularly pesky guards, that didn't stop a few minions from leaping up and grabbing her foot a few times.

"Argh! Damn! These things won't stop coming!" yelled Storm as she pushed her powers to the limit.

"**And for good reason. The ritual is almost complete!"**

The power of the Phoenix kept on growing. Nearly half the darkened minions being summoned by Warlord Xin's elite guard focused on restraining her. Needless to say, most of them were burnt to a crisp or ripped apart by telekinetic force, but their numbers along with Jean's inability to balance out the power of the Phoenix was starting to take its toll.

"Guys!" struggled Jean, trying desperately to maintain control, "I don't know how much longer I can…"

Then suddenly, she was hit hard by a minion who managed to sneak up behind her.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" she yelled as she felt the dark minion pounce her like a jungle predator.

"Jean!" yelled Slayer as he tried to fight his way over towards her, only to meet with more resistance by Warlord Xin's elite guard.

"Shit! What's goin' on, bub?" yelled Logan over the growing noise, "What's happenin' to Jeannie?"

"The Phoenix is growing too unstable! I think the effect of the ritual is…"

But before Jack could even finish, the whole area around the temple was rocked by a deafening cry. It didn't sound at all like Jean. If anything, it sounded like that of a wounded bird. Her eyes turned bright orange as more flames inundated the area. It seemed to have a mind of its own, but that did not dissuade Warlord Xin's loyal minions.

"_Hurry! Subdue her! Do NOT allow her to fight through!"_

Just then, Slayer's eye flashed bright yellow as he shifted his attention back towards Warlord Xin's elite guards. And through his all seeing eye, he saw his chance.

"Phoenix! Can you hear me!" he yelled over the noise, using his sword to cut through six pesky minions.

"**Nnn…Slayer."**

"The elite guards! They're summoning the minions! Attack them! They're trying to slow us down! We're running out of time! Come on! I know you can do it!"

Jean's fists clenched in a fit of rage as more minions tried to pounce her, showing no fear and acting out of pure loyalty to their master. But no amount of loyalty could stop the cosmic entity from finding its captive love. Using anger from both its own persona and that of Jean Grey, the immense fires of the Phoenix grew and in a heavy telekinetic burst, the surrounding minions were blown away.

This act nearly knocked the rest of the X-men off their feet. It even caused the still hovering Ororo to fall to the ground. But Jack seemed to know what was coming and he quickly turned away and took cover.

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" he yelled as the symbols on his hand glowed bright purple and he cast a spell that encased them all in a glowing shield.

"**ERRRR! XIN!"**

The sound of her yells echoed for miles as she rose up from the ground and took aim at Warlord Xin's elite guard.

"_No! Stop her!"_

But before they could summon more minions, they were hit with the fiery force of cosmic energy. It was more than even their imposing forms could bear and with cries of great anguish, the elite guards of Warlord Xin were forcefully demolecularized. And as a result, the rest of his minions disappeared as well, letting off one last cry of torment.

All the while, the X-men remained safely guarded by Slayer's chi shield. They were all in awe of the sheer force that Phoenix unleashed, yet there was still concern since this was still their friend and it was uncertain whether or not she was still a part of this being.

"This doesn't look good, guys!" said Iceman as he and the others watched Jean's floating form glow brilliantly in the golden flames.

"Hey, look on the bright side," said Slayer as he let down the shield, "She took down Warlord Xin's elite guard."

"Yeah, I'm ecstatic," said Dazzler, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"But is she still in there?" asked Ororo, showing more concern than cynicism, "Is there any piece of Jean left in that thing?"

"You'd be surprised, Storm," answered Slayer cryptically, "There's more Jean in there than you think. But for now, let's not worry about that. We have to get inside and stop the ritual!"

"**Yes…I can feel my love's torment! Come! We must hurry! Our time is almost up!"**

"Then let's not waste anymore of it!" grunted Logan, "Come on team! Let's get in there and stop this prick!"

"Right behind you, comrade!" said Piotr as he and the others followed Jack and Phoenix into the darkened structure, not knowing whether or not they were already too late.

* * *

Deep in the central chamber of the vast temple, Warlord Xin was chanting the last verses of the ancient ritual that would make him the true bearer of Horus now and forever. His booming voice echoed throughout the vast area, filling the ancient structure with his insidious tone.

All the while, Scott was languishing in great pain, feeling the fiery power of Horus tearing at him from within as it thrashed about within him, not wanting to be separated from its primary host. His ruby quartz visor had shattered, his eyes were glowing bright red, and he was surrounded in the chaotic flames of the divine entity. Only now, some of them were being drawn to Warlord Xin as he summoned the power to his darkened being, caring little about the young man's torment.

"Yes! YES!" proclaimed Warlord Xin as the figurines on the pedestal glowed in a bright orange flame while the crystal skull shot forth bolts of mystic energy that struck Horus down to it's core, "Under the power of the celestial psalm and the authority of my spiritual power, I channel thee into the core of my blackened soul! I summon thee to awaken! Forever severed from the mortal vessel and free to take on a new form! One that shall carry its power throughout the cosmos and instill order out of chaos!"

"NO! YOU SON OF A…AHHHHHHHHHH!" yelled Scott, feeling as though he was being ripped apart from the inside while being burned alive on the outside.

He could feel it being ripped away from him…This power that he had finally assimilated with. It was so deeply linked to him. He could no longer deny the connection that Horus had with him. But now, that connection was on the verge of being permanently severed.

"Yes! Feel the power of the ancients, Horus!" yelled Warlord Xin as he prepared for the final step, "Leave this pitiful vessel! Assume a more rightful medium! Join me! Come to me! BE ONE WITH ME!"

The shadowy jungle entity was so close to amassing this great power that he could taste it. It was almost his…The power to create, destroy, and shape the universe as he saw fit. Once he had this power, no army or mystic would ever be able to contain him. Those that stood in his way would vanish with a mere thought. All he needed to do was say one final verse and assume that which he believed was rightfully his.

However, just as he prepared to state the final words of the ancient ritual, the X-men along with Slayer made it to the chamber. The mutant warrior could see that he was almost done. And if he wasn't stopped, then it would all be over. The X-men could feel it, Phoenix could feel it, and he could see it. It was all up to them to put a stop to this once and for all.

"At long last!" proclaimed Warlord Xin, "Ultimate power shall be mine!"

"Not today ugly!" yelled Slayer as he sprang into action.

With his magic sword firmly in hand, Slayer saw his chance and took it without hesitation. And in one, swift motion he threw his magic blade like a javelin, sending it speeding like a bullet directly at the altar where Warlord Xin was standing. However, it wasn't Xin that Slayer had targeted. No, it was something much more vital.

Warlord Xin was about to utter the final word, but before he could even lick his lips to begin, the flying sword sped right past him and hit the crystal skull that lay right in between the two figurines. And as soon as the enchanted blade made contact with the sinister relic, it shattered like a pane of glass, taking with it one of the most important pieces of the ritual.

"MY CHI SKULL!" yelled an enraged Warlord Xin.

"Sorry Xin. My finger must have slipped," said Slayer as he used his chi essence to summon his sword to return to his hands.

"You fool! Do you have any idea what you've done!" he yelled as the altar and the chamber began to rumble from the agitated power of Horus that began to arise from its bound form.

"Other than seriously ruined your day? Haven't got a clue, bub," grunted Logan as he and the others struggled to maintain their balance.

Everybody tried to hold onto something. Even Warlord Xin was thrown off balance by what was happening. Back at the X-jet, the Professor had been monitoring activity within the temple and as soon as the shaking started, the readings went off the scale.

"Professor! Professor, what's happening!" exclaimed Kitty as she and Warren were forced to hold onto something.

"I'm not sure, Kitty," said the Professor, doing a psychic scan in order to check on the state of his students, "But I…Oh no!"

Suddenly, he sensed something that he wished he hadn't. And outside, it was beginning to show as both Kitty and Warren were mesmerized by the sudden burst of activity upon the tip of the temple which had been glowing in a mysterious halo of light. Only now, it had changed colors to match the divine flames of Horus.

"Oh boy…I hope the others are okay," mused Warren.

However, such words didn't offer much comfort to those stuck on the inside. All they could do was wait and see what came of this. The only person who was completely indifferent to it all was Jean, who was just staring at the fiery activity with a look of awe upon her face, as if she were a young child staring up at the stars.

"**My love…You're okay."**

"Vhat's going on, Slayer!" exclaimed Kurt.

"As much as I know you don't want to hear this, guys…I'm not entirely sure," said Jack as he and the others were knocked off balance by another violent tremor.

Then, a deafening roar that resembled that of a giant falcon arose from the center of the room and through a massive halo of golden flames, Horus ascended slowly into the air, still bound within the being of Scott Summers. And from the looks of it, all was not well with the conflicted entity.

"**Freedom…Power…Strength. Yes, I can feel it! I can sense it! Yet it's still so…"**

"Scott!" exclaimed Bobby as he returned to his feet, "Scott man! Can you hear me?"

"**Scott…Yes. I can feel him too. He is…A part of me. His mind, body, and soul…So deeply linked…So deeply one with me."**

"Wow, what's going on here?" said Storm as the shaking began to wane, "What's happening with this thing?"

Slayer took a look at the hovering entity before him, his eye now glowing bright orange, matching the fires of the holy flames. And as soon as he made out part of the enigmatic sight, he was drawn into a sense of great awe.

"I…I think the ritual confused him," said Slayer as he tried to decipher the visions, "The entity's is fragmented. He's confused, distraught, and unbalanced by what Warlord Xin did to him. He's trying to find a way to complete himself, but I can't quite make out what he's…"

Then, before Jack could even finish his musings, Warlord Xin erupted in a rage from the now useless altar.

"You little PEST!" he yelled, his sinister eyes now glowing with indescribable rage, "The ritual…It's ruined!"

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, asshole! But it doesn't look like you were doing us any favors with it," shot Dazzler.

"Insolent mortals! You have no idea what you've unleashed! Without the balance instigated from the ritual, Horus will destroy us all!"

"Correction…Destroy us both!" said Bobby, trying to sound determined.

"Seriously Bobby…Stop watching the Simpsons so much," said an exasperated Piotr, shaking his head in amazement that he could be quoting lines from a cartoon at a time like this.

"Sorry big guy," he shrugged, "It's what I do."

Such antics did not go over well with Warlord Xin. Of all the forces to thwart his plans, he couldn't believe that it had to be by these miniscule insects. He could stand being imprisoned by a team of powerful shamans, but he could NOT take being bested by such pitiful youths. It was nothing short of demeaning.

"You pathetic mortals will pay for what you've done!" he yelled as he took out his oversized sword and prepared for battle, "Even if we're all reduced to cosmic dust, I will make sure that I have your heads!"

"Yeah, real classy Xin," said Slayer as he firmly gripped his sword in preparation for yet another fight, "But if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

"Ha! I've bested you on more than one occasion, warrior! What makes you think you can beat me this time?"

"Uh, excuse me? Are we invisible or something?" said Bobby.

"Yeah, zhis time you'll have to beat all of us!" said a determined Kurt, always willing to fight against something demonic.

"And we sure as hell don't go down easy, bub!" growled the angry Wolverine, his claws ready for action.

However, despite this show of determination, Warlord Xin didn't look too threatened. He had faced plenty of opponents before and he had bested nearly all of them. What difference could a bunch of super powered misfits do anyways?

"Very well…If it is death you want, then death I shall bring you!" he bellowed.

Then, to even the odds, Warlord Xin used his vast dark powers to summon a new team of minions from the shadows. This time, he would not hold back. This time, his orders were to kill. And from the looks of it, every one of them looked hungry for blood. Yet despite this imposing show of force, the X-men remained unafraid.

"Seriously pal, these things are getting old!" said Dazzler as she prepared to rip into these dark minions.

"Yes, even I'm beginning to tire of them," said Ororo, still trying to hide her inherent fears of facing her childhood nightmares.

"Tire all you like, but you will all eventually succumb to the power of the shadows!" bellowed the ancient warlord as he pointed his oversized sword directly at his adversaries, "Now my minions! ATTACK!"

"Here we go again," muttered Slayer, his sights now on Warlord Xin as yet another swarm of his forces charged him and the X-men.

Like before, Warlord Xin's minions relied heavily on their numbers, but unlike last time, they weren't just throwing themselves at them. Under the ancient spirit's guidance, they seemed to have some real strategy now. They were breaking up into groups and platoons and concentrating their strength on one particular target at a time.

In response, the X-men stayed in a closely formed cluster, knowing that they couldn't risk being isolated. The fires of Horus were still growing and amassing and Jean was still in a daze, but at the moment, Slayer and the X-men had more immediate concerns to deal with.

"Okay guys! This is it!" growled Logan, feeling ready to tear into as many minions as Warlord Xin threw at him, "No more dickin' around! This time, we stop this prick once and for all!"

"Right! And that means targeting the big man himself!" said Slayer in response, firmly gripping his sword as his all seeing eye locked on the ancient madman who had inflicted so much cruelty on the world.

"But what about Scott and Jean?" asked Colossus, sticking close to Nightcrawler since they were both close range fighters.

"Don't worry about them," assured Slayer, his all seeing eye flashing a fiery orange, "I think they both know what they're doing."

Not arguing with the mutant warrior's power, the team of young mutants focused on the surrounding army. In response, the minions let out deafening screeches as they followed the will of their dark master, relentlessly charging the closely grouped team.

Dazzler struck first, using the high pitched noise to form powerful sparks that were stronger than the ones she was usually capable of. The acoustics of the confined area worked well to her advantage and her attacks were supplemented with Bobby and Ororo's, effectively mowing down the first wave.

"Come on feel the noise!" yelled Dazzler as the area around them erupted into a plethora of sparks, ice blasts, and lightning strikes.

"Spoken like a true punk rocker, Ali!" made Iceman as he froze a dozen minions that were trying to surround him and Ororo.

"Just shut up and freeze them, Iceman!" shot Wolverine as he went at full berserker, leaping headfirst into the swarm of shadowy guards, "Try to get us through to the big boss!"

"Yes, there is merely an army of shadows in our way!" said Kurt, pulling off some backflips while teleporting out of some tight spots in order to spread individual minions while Colossus took care of those that were unlucky enough to get close to them.

"Ha! Some army!" shot the Russian born mutant as he pummeled half a dozen unlucky minions at once.

While this was going on, Warlord Xin had his sights solely on Slayer…The man who had stopped the ritual before his ultimate triumph. For too long, this pestilent warrior had stood in his way. No matter how many times he managed to best him, he kept coming back like a cockroach. But this time, he would leave no room for escape.

"SLAYER!" yelled Warlord Xin as he walked with ease through the army of shadow minions towards his arch enemy.

The mutant warrior was still tearing through minions with slash after slash from his sword, moving at superhuman speeds to take down each dark warrior before it could touch him. He was focusing his efforts on protecting Jean, who remained in a strange trance. The fires of the Phoenix were still surrounding her body and her eyes were completely focused on the floating form of Scott Summers.

"Jean! Jean, come on!" he urged her as he leapt into the air and pulled off a quick spell that caused a powerful wave of mystic energy to clear the area, "You have to focus! Both you and Horus are in a state of chaos! You need to find balance! You need to…"

But before Slayer could finish his words, he was hit hard by a pestilent minion who had used his distracted state to his advantage. The mutant warrior was quick to recover and eviscerate the minion with his sword, but as soon as he recovered, the army of shadows suddenly stopped attacking and allowed their master to come through.

"You've meddled in my affairs for the last time, warrior!" said the ancient madman, his sword directly pointing towards Slayer, "The time for casual exchange is over! Now it's do or die!"

"Funny…If I hadn't already walked that road, I might actually be scared by that," quipped the mutant warrior, standing ready for battle.

But before the fight could rage any further, the power of Horus took action in its confused state. Seeing all this turmoil was an alien concept. All these new sensations, feelings, and thoughts were streaming through its immortal conscious, mixing closely with the mind and heart of Scott Summers. And the more it watched, the more confused it became.

"**All this fighting…All this horror. The forces of darkness and light…The struggle between good and evil. So much hatred…Yet still, so much heart."**

As Horus took in this sight, its fires grew increasingly agitated, causing Warlord Xin's minions to falter and the team of young mutants to grow increasingly anxious.

"Dude! What the hell is happening with that thing!" said Bobby, having to shield his eyes from the growing flame as he fought off a few more minions.

"I'm not exactly sure, Iceman…" said Slayer as he and Warlord Xin continued to stare each other down in a death glare, "All I can see is confusion and chaos from within! I don't know what it's doing, but I think it may be trying to make sense of everything! And Scott's trying to help it!"

"Scott! Is he still okay?" yelled Ororo as she was forced to take to the air in order to get out of a tight spot with two clusters of charging minions.

"Near as I can tell, both he and Horus are still a part of each other! I just don't know if one or the other will overcome the fight for control!"

Such uncertainty actually made Warlord Xin laugh maniacally, for these foolish mortals truly had no idea of how the divine worked.

"You fools…You really don't get it do you? The mortal vessel is being consumed!" he said with his sinister voice, "The same thing is happening to the Phoenix, only you all were stupid enough to believe that it could be controlled! Those that you call Scott Summers and Jean Grey are slowly being eaten right down to their souls! And once they are gone, then both entities will seek new sources to consume! And with their power, they'll decimate entire planets and star systems within the blink of an eye!"

The chilling words of Warlord Xin echoed all through the minds of the young team of mutants with dread, for the thought of their friends being eaten away by some cosmic force that they could not stop was definitely not a pleasant thought. But in the eyes of Slayer, he refused to believe as such.

"Don't listen to him guys! He's full of shit!" yelled Slayer, urging them to continue the fight.

"Am I? I am an immortal spirit! Who else could know the inner workings of such forces?"

That just got Jack to grin once more in response…An act that always pissed off Warlord Xin.

"You'd be surprised, Xin."

Then, before either fighter could make the first move, Jean snapped out of her daze as she engulfed herself in flames and ascended into the air to the same level as Horus. Some of the minions tried to stop her, but they were burnt to a crisp by the holy flames. And when the eyes of Horus met with that of Phoenix, something happened with them…Something on a level that even Slayer couldn't make out.

"**My love…At long last, we have found each other."**

As she hovered in the large ritual area just below the still glowing top of the structure, Horus reached out and gently caressed the young woman's beautiful face. Both their eyes were glowing brightly as they soon found themselves in a passionate embrace. They still looked so deeply confused, but now they were feeling something entirely different…Something that went beyond even their capability for understanding.

"**Phoenix…Jean…Yes, I can feel you. Deep within my mind and through this mortal form, I can feel you."**

"Uh…Could anyone tell me what the hell is going on here!" said Dazzler, the flashing flames of the two immortal entities growing increasingly erratic.

"At this point, Ali…I think it's all up in the air," said Slayer, who couldn't even see with his all seeing eye what was going on.

The two immortal entities continued their embrace, gazing into one another's eyes with looks of indescribable passion. The mortal and immortal essences were now mixing on such a grand scale. Scott Summers and Jean Grey…Phoenix and Horus…It was all coming together not as a struggle, but as a feeling.

Yet still, there was so much confusion. Horus was still struggling to ascertain this power and this connection. And because of this, he couldn't contain this inner turmoil. He couldn't make order out of chaos.

"**So confused…Cannot…Make sense of these…These feelings."**

"**Horus…Please!"**

"**I…I must go! Scott Summers…The power…Love…I must find that which is missing!"  
**

"Missing?" said Slayer, growing increasingly curious as to just what was going on here.

Then, as the X-men, Slayer, and Warlord Xin struggled to ascertain what was happening, a blinding flash of fiery flames erupted from the being of Horus. And through the glowing tip of the vast temple, his immortal being assumed the form of a majestic falcon and shot off through the roof into the sky at impossible speeds.

And upon seeing this, the Phoenix felt it too and quickly followed suit.

"**Wait my love! I'm coming with you!"**

With another flash, the Phoenix shot through the opening of shattered stone that had been left in wake of Horus's departure. And for miles around, the amazing beauty of two fiery birds, one masculine and one feminine, could be seen by all, their divine flames filling the sky and showing just how powerful each force was

From the X-jet, such a spectacle didn't go unnoticed by the Kitty, Warren, and the Professor. It left all three of them in a state of awe, but the Xavier seemed most concerned.

"Wow…" said Warren, watching on with amazement at what he saw as the two immortal birds shot into the sky, "Scott…Jean…"

"Professor! Are they…Are they okay?" asked Kitty in a worried tone.

Professor Charles Xavier was not a man who was easily bewildered. His experiences had brought him plenty of strange sights. But upon sensing all the chaos through his telepathy, he was at a loss for words. And as much as it pained him, there was only one thing he could say in response.

"I don't know, Kitty. I honest to God don't know."

* * *

AN: Talk about messy, eh? Everybody is now left in quite a harsh predicament and there's still a hard fight to be had! It's all coming to ahead my friends! Stay tuned to see how Phoenix and Horus seek out that which is confusing them so and stay tuned to see how the X-men and Slayer work to stop Warlord Xin once and for all! In the meantime, don't forget to REVIEW! Send me your feedback directly via email or post it on the fanfiction website! Thank you all for reading thus far and I wish you all the best!

GOOD AND EVIL! DARKNESS AND LIGHT! AND EACH OF THEM DEMAND REVIEWS!


	9. Finding Balance

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 9: Finding Balance**

****

* * *

With Horus and the Phoenix now soaring freely through the sky, the fate of so many remained uncertain. Slayer, the X-men, and Warlord Xin remained in the temple, locked in bitter conflict as the universe rested in the hand of two mutant teenagers. And for Warlord Xin, this was reason enough to believe that they were all done for. But before the end came, he had some personal business to take care of.

At the moment, Xin's seemingly endless shadow army was fighting the X-men. Wolverine, Iceman, Dazzler, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus were all doing whatever they could to subdue this madman's minions. But for Slayer, he had only one focus and one focus alone…Warlord Xin.

"Well I hope you're happy, warrior!" bellowed the evil entity as he held his oversized sword, ready to strike down his enemy once and for all, "Thanks to your pestilence, those two will destroy us all!"

"You're a hell of pessimist, Xin. No wonder you turned out to be such a prick!" said Slayer, his magic sword drawn as both fighters stood in the desolate center where the darkened clouds above still echoed with thunder through the hole that Horus had made.

"Mock me all you want warrior! But I know immortal forces! And as long as Phoenix and Horus are in a state of chaos, they'll keep destroying and recreating every corner of the universe until their mortal vessels fades or they choose to throw themselves in the nearest black hole!"

"Or…All that could be avoided if those two simply found the balance that they seek."

"Balance? Ha!" scoffed Warlord Xin, his red eyes flashing menacingly, "That eye of yours is starting to play tricks with your mind, warrior! It's made you delusional! But no matter…Because I'm going to put you out of your misery before we're all shattered into cosmic dust! I may not have cosmic power, but I still have enough to defeat you!"

"Bring it on, Ugly!" yell the determined mutant warrior, firmly gripping his sword in preparation for battle, "It's time we finally finish this!"

With such words in mind, Warlord Xin began the charge, letting out a loud war cry that seemed to rally his minions around the X-men.

"Hrrrrrrrrrrrrrahhhhhhhh!"

The sound of his sword clashing with Slayer's unleashed a booming echo of metal on metal that radiated throughout the mangled temple. It was so forceful that it knocked a few minions who were close by off their feet. Such force was a remarkable feat, showing just how much power these two were putting into this fight to the bitter end.

"Time to die warrior!" yelled Xin, their swords now sparking as they tried to overcome one another with brute strength.

"Don't you ever get tired of saying that?" grunted Slayer as he broke the grapple and began his attack.

Slayer didn't hold back this time as he moved with superhuman speed, unleashing a barrage of horizontal and vertical slashes that forced Warlord Xin on the defensive. They were in a place that was thick with metaphysical energy, so Jack knew he had the means to supply himself with the power he needed to fight.

But Warlord Xin was no pushover. Every lightning quick maneuver was blocked and diverted with his sword, allowing him to work the young warrior to a stalemate as they found themselves in another grapple. Only this time, Xin was on the offensive.

"You're getting sloppy, warrior!" he taunted as he pulled off a spin move that landed a heavy blow on the mutant warrior, causing him to let out a pained yell.

"Erraaahhhhhh!"

"Yes! That's it, Slayer! Feel the anguish of the shadows!"

"Fuck…You!"

Even with a serious wound forming, Slayer was quick to respond and hit Warlord Xin with an upper diagonal slash. Naturally, the shadowy warlord motioned to block this attack, but the momentum of Jack's movement allowed him to divert the direction of his blade and pulled off a spin move that impaled the jungle madman right through the gut.

"RRRAHHHHHHHH!" he yelled, sounding like the cries of a thousand tortures souls.

"Pure chi still stings like a bitch, doesn't it?" taunted the mutant warrior as he pulled his sword out in quick, fluid motion, causing Warlord Xin even more pain.

"ERR! NOW YOU'RE DEAD SLAYER!"

Kicking it into high gear, Warlord Xin unleashed the power of shadow magic and his body was soon glowing with the evil energy of the blackest magic. Slayer responded by tapping the surrounding energy and forming a field of purified chi around his body. It was an act that gave them both a new burst of energy and as they both let out deafening war cries, the sound of colliding swords echoed through the chamber.

"Yeah! Come on, Slayer!" yelled Iceman as he froze a squad of minions that were trying to sneak up on him, "Kick his evil ass!"

"Dude, NOW you're rooting for him!" exclaimed Dazzler, using the surrounding sounds to unleash more energy sparks.

"Hey, I figure if he wins, we all win! So let's show a little support!"

"What are you, Bobby? A cheerleader!" yelled Ororo, who was staying high in the air, away from these creatures that had once haunted her nightmares, "Let's just get rid of these things!"

"Easy Ro! Now ain't the time to be losing your mind!" yelled Logan as he tore through minion after minion, "Just stay focused! We beat Xin, we all win!"

"I'll take that, comrade!" said Piotr as nearly two dozen dark soldiers tried to pile on top of him, only to be met with the raw, unabated strength of the Russian Colossus.

Warlord Xin's minions wouldn't let up. With every being they destroyed, three more took their place. They showed no fear, no will, and no limits to their endurance. They just kept coming, fueled by the endless rage of a madman. Whenever Xin suffered a blow from Slayer, they all felt it and they all faltered. But whenever he was invigorated, they all became stronger and more difficult to overcome.

Either way, it was all on Slayer to take down Xin. And with their epic fight turning into a lightshow of magic, speed, and strength, it was hard to tell who was winning.

"You ugly…Son of a…Bitch!" yelled Slayer as he went on the attack, using all the mystical power her could muster to overcome his tenacious enemy.

"Err! You can't win, Slayer! You'll NEVER win!" taunted Warlord Xin as he blocked and diverted each slash.

Emotions ran high as the forces of darkness and light collided in a show of great force. Whatever one did, the other countered. When Slayer delivered a devastating blow, Warlord Xin responded with a shot of his own. It was beginning to take a toll on both of them as Slayer's armor began to rupture and Warlord Xin's once majestic attire grew increasingly disheveled.

Yet neither fighter showed any signs of letting up. They were too evenly matched. Such a struggle was truly epic as good and evil tried to overcome one another and two bitter enemies struggled to end this once and for all.

"You know we're all going to die, Slayer…" grunted Warlord Xin as he and Slayer were caught in another grapple, "Once Horus and Phoenix are corrupted enough, we'll all be cosmic dust!"

"Then I guess we better make this last fight count!" shot the mutant warrior.

"Err! You fool! This is all your fault! You killed this world! If you had let me take that power, it would still exist and prosper under my rule!"

"Don't bullshit me, Xin! I know full well that everybody on this planet would rather die than live under your rule!"

"That's your biased opinion! History may see me as a malevolent entity of the shadows, but how does that fare compared to one who claims to fight for justice and ends up destroying the planet in the process?"

Upon hearing those words, Jack let out a cynical laugh as he broke the grapple and gripped his sword in preparation for another attack.

"You really don't get it, do you?" he taunted, "History is only a collection of facts that everybody chooses to agree upon, not a script of judgment. And even if it was, I couldn't care less how I'm remembered. I don't give a damn about justice, peace, or the world in general! I do what I do for one reason and one reason alone…Honor!"

Warlord Xin's shadowy form was showing signs of fatigue as black blood seeped through his armor. His eyes were glowing with complete and utter hatred. It was bad enough that this pestilent warrior had stopped him in his hour of triumph, but to remain so stubborn was more than he could handle. In his malevolent eyes, he just had to die.

"Err! I swear I'll send you to rot in the eternal pits of torment even if I have to go with you!"

"Suit yourself, Xin…" grunted Slayer, ignoring the blood trailing down his face as he stared down his enemy, "Now come on! Let's dance!"

* * *

While the fight between the forces of Warlord Xin, Slayer, and the X-men raged on, something far grander was brewing in the vast cosmos of space. Two powerful entities were soaring through the outer heavens at speeds that traversed great distances in mere seconds. Such acts were impossible for mortal beings to comprehend, but for Horus and Phoenix it was as easy as breathing.

"**So confused…So lost. Every emotion, every feeling, every memory…It's all so…Strange."**

The holy entity known as Horus, the son of Re, was flying aimlessly through space with no direction or destination in mind. He was an immortal force bound within the body of a mortal being. It was so deeply confusing, but after going through that ritual with Warlord Xin, he was more fragmented then ever.

He felt pain, anger, rage, and unparalleled hatred under the evil spirit's power. These were not things an immortal felt. These were moral sensations. And the more he thought about them, the more confused he became. So he just kept flying.

Not far behind Horus was the equally majestic cosmic force known as Phoenix. Like him, she was bound in a vessel known as Jean Grey, yet unlike him she had resided in this vessel longer. And during that time, she had learned about these mortal sensations. From the time the Hellfire Club tried to corrupt her to the time when she saved all those lives by destroying that nuclear power plant, she had experienced so much.

But after feeling Horus manifest, she felt something she had yet to truly experience. While bound to Jean Grey, she became acquainted with this feeling known as love. It was quite a sensation, but her mortal vessel had it in abundance. She had a deep love for Scott Summers…A love that made the immortal entity feel things that it was still trying to understand. But when Horus manifested, this feeling grew stronger and after eons of searching, she felt as though this was the key to making herself whole again.

"**Horus! Please, let me help you!"**

The two confused entities soared through space, flying by amazing sights that no mortal eyes had ever seen before. They passed stars, planets, novas, and nebulas that were so majestic and beautiful, but this failed to slow them as they kept on soaring like the divine birds they were.

Eventually, they flew so far that they were outside the Milky Way and ascending to the point in the cosmos where they could make out entire clusters of galaxies. And it was at this point that the confused entity known as Horus finally stopped.

"**The cosmos…So vast and expansive. The power to create and destroy…All within the palm of my hand. But…Why? Why am I here? What is my purpose? Of what use could such power be to a universe of such great chaos?"**

Even for an immortal entity, the answers seemed all but impossible. Hovering in a halo of fire, the body of Scott Summers turned around and gazed back at where came from, watching with awe at the sight that no such being had ever witnessed before.

It was so peaceful on the surface, yet so chaotic at the same time. He was so confused. All these feelings and sensations wouldn't leave him even out here in the vastness of infinity. So how was he to manage them? How was he to find his purpose?

Then suddenly, a beautiful voice interrupted Horus from his conflicted musings.

"**Horus!"**

"**Phoenix…Is that you?"**

From the vast distance before him, the beautiful image of the Phoenix emerged, taking its rightful place at the side of her love. The closer she got, the more she could feel him in her mind through the link that connected Scott Summers and Jean Grey. It caused the emotions within her mortal vessel to intensify, their holy fires now mixing in a plethora of feelings, sensations, and emotions.

"**Horus…Please. Let me help you. I need you."**

"**Yes…Phoenix…I need you too, but it…It's all so strange. I don't understand any of this! Why are we here? What's going on? Why have we been bound to these mortal vessels? Why!"**

"**I…I don't know. But I'm here now. We can figure this out together."**

Drawing herself in closer, Phoenix took her fellow immortal in her arms. It was a gesture that Horus graciously accepted, wanting so desperately for something…Anything to hold onto. And when he felt his love's warmth, a wave of new sensations washed over him.

Scott Summers and Jean Grey reacted as well. Even though they were mere vessels, they too were becoming a part of this in a way that extended beyond their mortal limits. It was unlike anything any human could comprehend, but the emotions were strong enough to make such details irrelevant.

"**So warm…Phoenix, I can…I can feel you. Even within Scott Summers, I can feel you. How? Why?"**

"**That's a question I too have been pondering, my love. But I'm beginning to think that maybe this is the moment where we finally understand our true purpose."**

"**Yes, our purpose! But why must we seek it through these mortal vessels? For eons, I remained disembodied, empty, and lost. Yet when I felt the birth of the mortal known as Scott Summers, I felt a connection."**

"**Yes, I understand. It was the same for me when I felt the birth of Jean Grey."**

"**They reached out to us in their earliest moments. They reached out to each other as well. And of all the beings that would embody our power, it came about through these two souls. And when I first felt it, I thought my emptiness would be filled when we became one. But when I was forced into merging with his being I was bombarded with all these overwhelming sensations!"**

"**Indeed, I experienced that as well when I was forced into Jean Grey. At first I felt euphoria for finding my vessel after all this time, but when I began to experience mortal feelings, I just…I couldn't control myself. But at the same time, these new feelings began to change me. Things like passion, emotion, and feeling…It was all so new to me. And the only way to maintain control was to suppress it. But it just…It was so hard! I was becoming…Becoming…"**

The divine entity was unable to finish as she lost herself in the confusion. She actually began to shed tears…Tears of fiery sorrow for the part of her that she couldn't balance.

It was a sight that struck Horus in a way that he had yet to experience. But unlike the other sensations that he had felt, this was different. Through the link between Scott Summers and Jean Grey, he could feel this great depth of emotion between them. It felt…Good. It felt really good. It was warm, comforting, and undeniably strong.

But what was it? What was this feeling between Scott Summers and Jean Grey that seemed to parallel the connection between him and Phoenix.

"**Phoenix…Don't cry. Don't cry."**

"**I can't help it! All this time, it's been a battle! A struggle! The more I fight, the more confused I become! Am I Phoenix or am I Jean Grey! Are we separate or are we one! I don't know! I just don't know! All I know is I keep feeling these sensations with her. And every time I look at you…They grow stronger."**

"**Yes, I feel it to. It is what guided me during those first chaotic moments in my mortal vessel. But I know not what this is…I only know what Scott Summers would call it if he were with Jean Grey…Love."**

"**Yes…Love."**

Upon speaking that word, the two immortal beings embraced one another even more, not wanting to let go. Their flames mixed with one another in strong show of passion and emotion. They could feel the connection between them growing stronger. From Scott Summers and Jean Grey to the level of their divine power, it burned so brightly.

And from this, something inside them began to stir…Something that defied even the realm of the immortal.

"**Horus…"**

"**Phoenix…"**

What happened next transcended all the boundaries of time and space. Slowly, their faces drifted closer, the fires of their divine power burning with intense passion. Their hands began to roam about one another's mortal bodies, the sensations so deeply amplified by the divine prowess of their state.

The stars and galaxies seemed to shine with greater intensity as if they were reacting to this powerful connection between Phoenix and Horus. Then, as their lips met, it all came together for them.

Their bodies were enraptured in the deepest of passion, the lines between mortal and immortal blurring like never before. Scott Summers and Jean Grey were just as present as Horus and Phoenix. This connection, this feeling, this sensation…It was filling the emptiness inside them. And it was all linked by one word…Love.

"**Scott…"**

"**Jean…I…I understand now. It…It's beginning to finally make sense!"**

"**Yes…Yes, I feel it too! All this time…I wasn't trying to find control. I was trying to find balance."**

"**Balance…Through emotions, passion, and feeling. And the mortal vessels of Scott Summers and Jean Grey are the mediums for finding it! Their love for each other and their connection with us…It's all meant to bring balance!"**

In a moment of revelation, the two immortal entities were enraptured with a feeling of completion that went beyond the levels of mortality and divinity. They knew why they were here. They knew why they manifested in these beings. And at long last, they knew the path they had to walk in order to find their peace.

"**Phoenix…Jean…Whether your one or the other, mortal or immortal, there is one thing that links us…Love. My love for you…Your love for me…On every level of every state, it is love that binds us. And through love, all these feelings…Joy, sorrow, hatred, happiness, and anger…They are all put into harmony. Neither flawed nor perfect, it is these feelings that fill our emptiness."**

"**And it is together, through our mortal beings that we can finally be at peace. We can finally bring harmony from chaos."**

"**Yes…Scott Summers and Jean Grey…Forever our mortal manifestations…Forever our vital consciousness. And through the link they share…And the link we share as well…We find our balance."**

It had literally been an eternity waiting for this moment. And in the end, it was because of two mortals who just happened to be deeply in love that these two entities had found the way.

Now, as they held hands, the mortal and immortal parts of their being were all brought to surface in order to share this moment together. The final step in their journey to peace was about to be taken. And together, they would create clarity from confusion…Peace from chaos. And all they needed was love.

"**Jean…I love you…Of all the power that lies within us, no words can ever describe that which I feel for you."**

"**I love you too, Scott. And with me…It's the thought that counts. And yours…Like you…Are beautiful."**

Then, in a show of newfound harmony, the two cosmic lovers met in a passionate kiss. The fires of their immortal flames mixed in a brilliant display of beauty and splendor. And with their mortal bodies so heightened with the majesty of mortal passion, the holy entities were consumed with the wondrous sensations of life, bliss, and harmony.

And through their mortal vessels, the two beings finally experienced the greatest sensation of them all whether it be through earthly or divine…Peace.

* * *

Back in the temple, the fight was still raging as both Slayer and Warlord Xin wore each other down. They each showed signs of fatigue, their armor cracked and their bodies seeping with blood. As powerful as Warlord Xin was, he couldn't escape the effects of Jack's sword. The blade of pure chi was reeking havoc on his darkened form and it was showing in his minions.

"Come on Herr Slayer! Zhey are beginning to weaken!" urged Kurt as he and Colossus manhandled an entire platoon of minions.

"Yeah, keep it up pal! Help us through this and I'll get you more booze than you know what to do with!" yelled Dazzler, sticking close to Bobby as they kept up with their distance attacks after having suffered a few scrapes and bruises.

"Booze! How can you think of booze at a time like this!" exclaimed Bobby.

"Just shut up and keep shooting!" yelled the former punk rocker.

As strange as it was rooting for a guy they had once deemed an enemy, it was becoming apparent that Slayer had been telling the truth when he said that there were much darker forces at work here. And Warlord Xin was beyond dark. A being like this couldn't be allowed to inflict any more pain and it had to end here.

Bolstered by support from the X-men, Slayer firmly gripped his sword despite his bodily pain and prepared another attack.

"You can't keep this up forever, mortal!" boasted Warlord Xin, his black blood staining his dark armor, "Eventually, you will succumb to the fate of all those who oppose me."

"Blah, fucking, blah," scoffed Slayer, "You think that's going to stop me? Either I kill you now! Or die trying!"

"Ha! If it's death you want, its death you shall receive!"

Letting out a round of war cries, Slayer and Warlord Xin lunged forward, their swords clashing in a show of sparks and mystical energy. Their bodies continued to glow as they tried to use magic to overcome one another, but it was still a bitter stalemate.

Slayer tried to pull of a double lunge stabbing move that was usually the most effective killing maneuver in his style of swordsmanship, but Warlord Xin's heavy, oversized sword had the advantage of giving him more momentum, allowing him to dodge and avoid the attack by the margin of a human hair.

Then, he tried to go on the offensive, unleashing a wave of horizontal slashes and spin attacks that forced Slayer to go on the defensive. His sword may have been big and heavy, but with Xin's strength, that was irrelevant and he kept it moving at great speeds even as Slayer tried to disrupt his motions.

"You're fast! But not fast enough!" yelled Warlord Xin as Slayer rolled under another one of his horizontal slashes.

"Thanks for the hint. Guess that means I'll just move faster!"

Then, using his mystical abilities, Slayer summoned the purple mist that carried him great distances and used it to accelerate his speed. This surprised Xin as Slayer managed to land several heavy blows with his blade, causing him to let out anguishing cries.

"Errrrrrahhhhhhh! You little…"

His speed was proving deadlier than the jungle warrior could have imagined, but it wouldn't win him the battle as Warlord Xin summoned some magic of his own. With Slayer still moving at speeds masked by his mist, the evil warlord drew on his mastery of the shadows to shower the area in a veil of darkness that momentarily blinded Slayer.

And with only a split second moment to attack, Warlord Xin made what he hoped would be the death blow.

"DIE SLAYER!" he yelled as he delivered a strong, diagonal slash that tripped the mutant warrior up and sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Damn!" he cursed, feeling his leg sting as if it was on fire, "You son of a…"

"No more games! Now you shall perish at my hands!"

Then, just as Warlord Xin was making his final run, Wolverine sprang into action, tearing through the minions that had been holding him up and leaping into the central area. His claws were fully drawn and his temper was raging. This psycho had caused them enough grief and if Slayer couldn't finish it on his own then he was going to have to lend a claw.

"Not today, bub! This guy still owes me a rematch!" yelled Logan as he rolled over towards where Slayer was still trying to get up and lunged forth with both hands.

And unfortunately for Warlord Xin, his focus on Slayer caused him to lapse just enough to run right into Logan's trap. He was moving too fast and had too much momentum going as he ran right into Logan's adamantium claws. And like a pin cushion, he was impaled through the gut, causing more blackened blood to flow over his sinister form.

"NO!" yelled the jungle general of shadows as he was hit with a searing burst of pain.

"What one can't do…Two can!" shot Slayer, his leg now out of his mind as he lunged forth and supplemented Logan's attack with a few quick sword slashes of his own.

"ARRRRRRRGH! YOU LITTLE…"

But neither Logan nor Slayer let up. Slayer kept slashing Logan kept stabbing as pure chi mixed with adamantium, giving Warlord Xin not one, but two targets to worry about. And while he managed to dodge a few, he was unable to dodge both.

Such blows quickly took their toll, causing him to saunter in his once confident poise. His whole body became stained with black blood and his minions grew increasingly weaker against the X-men.

"You're out of time, Xin!" shot Slayer as he and Logan stood over their adversary.

"Yeah, you picked the wrong people to mess with!" growled Logan, "Now I'm sendin' you back to where you came from in a box of confetti!"

Despite his bad situation, Warlord Xin stayed strong and scoffed at their feeble threats.

"Ha! You think you pitiful mortals can overcome the master of shadows? I am what nightmares are made of! I live on regardless of how much you hurt me! Face it…As long as my spirit remains fueled by the forces of darkness, you're just wasting your time! I am power! I am the blackest of night! I am invincible!"

"SHUT UP!" came a raging voice from above.

Looking up at the source of the voice, even Slayer and Logan were surprised at what they saw. It was none other than the one person who feared Warlord Xin most…Ororo Munroe. The weakened minions allowed her to break through and plow her way towards the source of so many nightmares. And with emotions running high, her powers ran at the force of a super typhoon…Focusing entirely on Xin.

"YOU CRUEL EXCUSE FOR JUNGLE SHIT!" she yelled as she hit the ancient being with an F5 tornado and a plethora of lightning strikes, "I'M SICK OF FEARING YOU! I'M SICK OF STILL HAVING NIGHTMARES ABOUT YOU!"

Warlord Xin kept trying to fight his way through the raw, unabated force of Ororo's weather powers, but he was having little success as his armor and sword conducted the lightning and further weakened him.

Over with the others, Xin's minions were beginning to fall apart. Several were starting to literally dissolve into dust. Their master's weakness was just too much for them to handle and there was no stopping the unseen onslaught.

"Hey! They're starting to retreat!" exclaimed Bobby, growing more confident as the vast army began dissolving right before his eyes.

"Looks like their master can't keep up the charade," said Piotr as he did a ramming style maneuver that knocked the last major clusters out like bowling pins.

"Yeah, these things aren't so tough!" yelled a cocky Dazzler as she watched more minions fall apart, "Cut off the head, the rest of the body bleeds!"

"Well you can write a song about it after it's over, Ali! But let's just finish the job!" said Bobby, already clamoring for a barrel of aspirin.

With Warlord Xin's minions falling apart and the overwhelming force of nature bearing down on him, the noose was tightening around the former Congo killer. He kept trying to overcome the forces of wind and lightning, but Ooro just wouldn't let up…Not as long as she sought to rid herself from nightmares of this beast once and for all.

"Uh…Ya think we ought to stop her?" said Logan, still standing on the sidelines as he watched Warlord Xin take more punishment.

"If you want to, be my guest," said Slayer with a slight laugh, "But I think your little windrider has been spending too much time around you. Guess, wildmen make her hot."

That earned the mutant warrior a scorn from Wolverine, but much to his surprise, he didn't retort. Now was not the time to get into arguments about his personal life. But he had to admit, Ororo sure did give his berserker rage a run for its money with the level of punishment she was inflicting on this madman

"GET OUT OF MY NIGHTMARES! GET OUT OF MY HOMELAND!" she screamed as she hit him with more lightning, "YOU'VE CAUSED ENOUGH SUFFERING! NOW YOUR REIGN OF TERROR ENDS HERE!"

However, despite Ororo's seemingly endless barrage, Warlord Xin just kept going. He wouldn't fall, even to the forces of nature. His shadowy form took all the punishment she dished out and eventually the young weather which began to wear herself out.

"You poor, pitiful child…" he grunted, his hand now glowing in a dark bluish haze, "You really think your nightmares will go away once I'm through with you?"

Then, in a show of his tenacity, Warlord Xin concentrated what energy he had left on a single blast of shadow magic. It came in the form of a glowing orb that shot through the air like a bullet and once it hit Ororo, she was overcome by a paralyzing force.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

"Ororo!" yelled Logan as he ran over to catch her in his arms before she hit the ground.

Once she was down, the winds and lightning stopped. Warlord Xin was reeling, but he was far from defeated. He was barely standing now as he stared Slayer down, ready to continue the fight. But in his weakened state, the advantage lay with his enemies.

"You…I swear…I'll kill you!" he said in a deep rage, gripping his sword firmly.

"You're losing your edge, Xin," quipped Slayer, "You may have been able to overcome me, but do you think you'll be able to do that now in your current state?"

Warlord Xin let out another grunt, showing that he had little intention of stepping down. But soon, he was met with another crisis as the last of his minions fell.

"Finally! You're out of playmates dude!" said Bobby as he, Piotr, Kurt, and Alison joined up with Slayer, Logan, and Ororo, "So how's this going to go down?"

"You can either come quietly or we can do this the hard way, comrade," said the imposing Russian Colossus.

"Face it pal! You lose!" shot Dazzler, her body sparking with rainbow colored energy.

Warlord Xin knew he was in a bind. He was outnumbered, outgunned, and in a state of great weakness. He was couldn't summon another army and if he dared to fight on, he would surely not succeed.

Yet still, he carried a poise of confidence, his red eyes glowing brightly as he laughed at his pestilent foes.

"You pathetic mortals…You really think that destroying me is going to change anything? You may have overcome my armies, but we'll endure the same fate! Any minute now, Horus and Phoenix are going to turn this world into cosmic dust! Face it, you lose…We all lose!"

"Oh don't be so sure about that, Xin," said Slayer with a sneaky grin as the mark over his eye glowed a bright yellow color.

The X-men cast the mutant warrior a curious glance and were about to ask him what was going on, but before they get the first words out, the whole structure started to shake and two deafening cries echoed from high in the sky.

"Oh no…" said Kurt as he and the others looked up at the sky above in a daze, "Slayer, is zhat who I think it is?"

"You'll see," said Slayer, still grinning, his all seeing eye telling him everything he needed to know.

In the skies above, the darkened clouds that had swirled overhead from the ritual broke and a wave of fiery light came bursting through the gaping hole in the top of the temple.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" yelled Warlord Xin as he felt the burn from the intense light.

Through the loud cries echoing from the sky, two beings descended into the temple. They were surrounded by the flames of Phoenix and Horus, two entities with the power to create and destroy. And in the mortal vessels of Scott Summers and Jean Grey, they held one another's hand, having found what they had been searching for after so many years.

But before their quest ended, they had some personal business to take care of.

"**Warlord Xin…Your time has come."**

"No…No, this can't be!" yelled the jungle clad madman as he fell to his knees at the mercy of the two cosmic entities.

"**You used me, Xin. You sought only to take this grand power and use it for your own greedy purposes. You inflicted harm upon me…Upon my mortal vessel, Scott Summers…And most of all, upon the people he loves and cares about."**

"You…You're going to…"

However, before Warlord Xin could finish, Phoenix cut him off.

"**You're presumptions are all but delusion at this point, Xin. You thought we wouldn't find our missing pieces. You thought we would be corrupted by experiencing the chaos of mortality. But you were wrong…Dead wrong."**

"Impossible! You can't master mortal feelings! According to the ancient texts, you should have gone supernova by now!" yelled Warlord Xin in defiance.

It was a strange sight, seeing this once strong being beg. But for Slayer and the X-men, it was a welcome sight. Warlord Xin had inflicted enough pain upon the world and no one knew that better than Horus. And for that reason, his reign would end here.

"**You're right. We should have. But before we could, I learned something that one can only learn after having experienced to joys and sorrows of a mortal mind. You don't control your feelings…Your feelings control you. It is only a matter of finding and accepting a little thing called balance."**

With nothing else standing in their way, Phoenix and Horus worked together to carry out their final judgment on Warlord Xin. Working together as one, they raised their hands and summoned their cosmic powers to end this.

"No…No! Please!" begged the tyrannically warlord.

His pleas went unnoticed as he was levitated into the air by the power of Phoenix and Horus. And with a single thought over the divine forces they commanded, the two legendary birds finally ended Warlord Xin's reign once and for all.

"No…NO! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Engulfed by the bright cosmic flames of creation and destruction, the immortal master of shadows, Warlord Xin, was burned into countless ashes and torn apart. His disembodied spirit was scattered in all directions via cosmic force, ensuring that he would never take his sinister form and command his insidious army ever again.

Now, it was over. Warlord Xin had been vanquished. He was gone and he was never coming back. However, that still left one major problem. And after what they had just seen, it was unclear what was going to transpire next.

"Well, we beat Warlord Xin," said Logan as everybody stood behind Slayer, the two fiery deities still hovering before them, "Now we've got these two to deal with."

"Guess it was nice while it lasted," muttered Bobby, "Any ideas Slayer? Because after what I just saw, I think we sure could use another miracle right about now."

* * *

AN: Well, Warlord Xin is defeated! But the power of Horus and Phoenix remains as strong as ever! It's almost over folks! Stay tuned to see the final conclusion of "Eternal Flame!" What's going to happen to the X-men? What's going to happen to Scott and Jean? You'll find out soon enough as this story concludes in the final chapter! But before that comes, I'd love to know what you all think! Please send me your reviews of this story via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Thank you all very much for reading and I wish you all the best!

THE END IS NEAR! REVIEW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!


	10. Resolution

**Eternal Flame  
Chapter 10: Resolution**

****

* * *

Warlord Xin had been vanquished. His evil shadow army would torment the world no more. Slayer and the X-men had fought hard to stop him, but now that he was gone they were left with much a more powerful force to deal with. And all points considered Warlord Xin was by far less dangerous.

"Okay, Slayer…You've proven yourself to us so far. So how the hell do we deal with this?" asked Iceman as they stood before the hovering entities of Horus and Phoenix.

"I think…It's a bit more complicated than that, X-men," said Slayer, his all seeing eye glowing a brilliant yellow as he stood fixated on what he was seeing.

"Great! Well, it was nice knowing you guys," muttered Dazzler.

Then, a new voice echoed through the chamber. Professor Charles Xavier had seen the reentry of Horus and Phoenix through the atmosphere and he had sensed the great shift in their being. And in order to aid his students, he had Warren fly him into the temple with Kitty riding on his back. But even at this late stage, it was unclear whether or not he could have much of an impact now.

"X-men! Fall back!" he ordered as Warren set him and his chair down, "I repeat, fall back! I must make telepathic contact with both of them!"

"Don't gotta tell us twice!" said Logan as everybody stepped back behind the Professor.

However, before Xavier could send out a single mental probe, Slayer picked up something that explained pretty much everything.

"Wait! Professor, don't do it! Don't send any probes!" he said, holding up his hand as he took a step closer to the two hovering entities.

"What! Are you high!" exclaimed Kitty, "We've got to stop those things! You said it yourself! They'll kill us all!"

"No…It's okay, X-men. Things are different. I see that now," said the mutant warrior as he stood where the altar once was, "There's no need for conflict. It's already been resolved, hasn't it?"

The two entities smiled kindly upon their fellow divine figure. They were still holding hands, hovering in the air and glowing with the majestic flames of cosmic power. To the rest of the X-men, it was a sign of danger. But to Slayer, it was the exact opposite.

"**Indeed it has, Slayer…Embodiment of Yoshinto. I, along with Phoenix, have found what we've been seeking for so long. And after eons of desolation, we are finally whole."**

The X-men stood dazed by the strange words that emulated from the possessed body of Scott Summers, yet they remained apprehensive about this force.

"Professor…" began Piotr, not knowing if they should take action.

"Stay back, Colossus," ordered Xavier, signaling the team to stay put, "Let's see what our new friend can do."

Referring to Slayer as a 'friend' came as quite a shock, but after having fought alongside him against Warlord Xin, they saw him in a new light. He wasn't some run of the mill mutant vigilante…Not by a long shot. And if he could put this matter to rest once and for all, then in their minds he would prove himself worthy of earning the title of 'friend.'

"The power of Horus and Phoenix are finally balanced in both the mortal and immortal realm," said Slayer as he stood with a respectful poise, "So where does that leave you now? Where does it all go from here?"

The Phoenix was the first to answer as she looked back down at the mutant warrior with a great deal of gratitude and appreciation for the deeds he had done on this day.

"**From here, both Horus and I shall return to our rightful place in the cosmos. We have a lot of wrongs to correct and for too long now we've been working under the guise of chaos. But through these mortal forms, we have found a means to bridge the gap between harmony and malice. Through the emotions of human beings…The hate, the joy, the sorrow, and especially…The love…Both Horus and I can finally be at peace."**

Such words were a welcomed change from the turmoil they had dealt with earlier and to know that a power that was capable of turning them all into cosmic dust was finally at peace…Well, that would definitely help them sleep easier at night.

Yet still, there was one burning question…One question that hung so strongly over the young team of mutants standing before the two holy birds.

"But…What about Scott and Jean?" asked Ororo with a worried tone, "What's going to happen to them?"

Horus turned and smiled at the team that his mortal vessel bore so much love for. He could see their concern, for they wanted their friend and leader back. And after what they had learned about him, it was unclear whether or not that was even possible.

"**Scott Summers is a part of me…Always has been, always will be. But as much a part of me he's become, he is still a separate consciousness. He is still a mortal and I am an immortal…Therefore, neither of us can ever truly exist as one being."**

"**Yes, the same applies to me and Jean Grey. We aren't so much two pieces of the same whole as two wholes of the same aura. As the Phoenix, she wielded a power all but incomprehensible to the human mind. And as Jean Grey, I experienced the highs and lows of her consciousness. Mortal and immortal, we find our balance together so that the power which we wield is not used incorrectly."**

"In other words, it was a matter of having the power all along and simply learning how to use it," said Slayer as he pieced together the puzzle, "That's why you manifested in this world, isn't it? That's why Scott Summers and Jean Grey were the predetermined vessels. They embodied the passion, strength, and emotions that were necessary to control this power while tapping it to its full potential. And because of how they were linked through a bond, the power of Horus and Phoenix came to complement each other like Yin and Yang."

"**Precisely, Slayer. And now that we are at peace, we can move on. Scott Summers has given me everything I've ever wanted and as a token of my gratitude, I with to return him to the life he so loves."**

"**Yes, I feel as though Jean Grey deserves such happiness as well. She has proven to be a fine embodiment. But her place is here. Mine is in the cosmos with Horus."**

"And that's where I come in," said Slayer, his eye now glowing a bright golden glow as he put the last piece of the puzzle together, "That's why I had that vision. That's why I was brought into this mess. My all seeing eye can show you the way to live both separately and as one. Like my own embodiment of an immortal entity, you wish to mimic the balance between that which is mortal and that which is divine."

Horus and Phoenix couldn't help but smile at the young warrior. Yoshinto couldn't have picked a better vessel to manifest in. With everything they had had experienced, they knew that the only way to truly be at peace was to let their mortal embodiments go and allow them to live as Yoshinto had allowed Jack to live. And even in a universe so full of chaos and conflict, the two immortal birds of creation and destruction took comfort in the knowledge that their power was in the hands of two truly special mortals.

"**Yoshinto has chosen his vessel well. And it appears that I was correct in reaching out to both you and Scott Summers."**

"Thank you, Horus. It was a great honor to be a part of this," said Slayer with a respectful bow.

"**The honor was all ours, my friend. Thank you for saving my love."**

"My pleasure, Phoenix," said Jack with a smile, "So are you two ready? Are you sure you want to do this?"

Horus and Phoenix simply exchanged loving looks, giving one another's hand a tight squeeze as they prepared for the final step. Their mortal vessels had proven to be more than they ever could have hoped for, but now it was time to let them live. However, they knew full well that just because they were separate…It didn't mean they weren't a part of each other.

"**I am ready, Slayer. Please…Finish that which you started. Show us the way."**

"In that case, look into my all seeing eye," said Slayer, the symbols on his hands glowing brightly as his body was engulfed in a halo of light, "Look into the eye that sees no lies and learn for yourself the truth that you seek. Let my power and my vision guide you…For that which was joined must now be separate. Yet for all eternity, may the great powers of the cosmos forever be a part of these two special souls."

Suddenly, the temple shook once more as the X-men took a step back while Slayer did his thing. The light of the fire along with the power of Slayer's eye became too bright to stare at directly. The X-men were forced shield their eyes as they waited anxiously to see what the fate of their friends would be.

Then, in a deafening cry of joy and jubilation, Horus and Phoenix parted from the bodies of Scott Summers and Jean Grey, a wave of embers rushing out of them like a torrent of fire. The loud cries of the two young lovers were heard through the mayhem as the immortal consciousness separated from their mortal embodiments, leaving their mortal forms that they so coveted.

And when it was all over, the bodies of Scott and Jean went limp as they fell to the hard floor, allowing Horus and Phoenix to finally take their fiery bird form as balanced entities.

"**YESSSSSSSSS! AT LONG LAST! WE ARE COMPLETE!"**

With one final stroke of magic, Slayer finished the job and let out an exhausting grunt that would finally complete that which had been set into motion so long ago.

"Errrrrahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he yelled, his body fully surrounded by the light and power of such unabated force.

When it was all done, the mutant warrior fell to his knees in a fit of exhaustion, but when he saw the two unconscious bodies of Scott Summers and Jean Grey lying on the floor while the two holy birds flew freely in the sky above, he managed to smile at the final completion of an age old task.

"Forever separate, yet forever one. Phoenix and Jean Grey…Horus and Scott Summers…At long last, the power is at peace."

While the two birds were flying overhead alongside one another, their fires and embers mixing in a show of affection and love, the X-men were quickly drawn to their friends.

"Scott! Jean!" exclaimed Kurt as he teleported to their sides while the others surrounded them.

"Are…Are they going to be okay?" asked Warren anxiously, still not believing what he had just seen.

Ororo bent down to feel around their necks for a pulse and upon finding one, she let out a deep sigh of relief.

"They'll be fine," she said with a smile, "They're just tired."

"I'll bet!" said Bobby with a laugh, "So I guess this means we won't be blown into cosmic dust?"

"For now, I think we're safe from that fate, Robert," said Professor Xavier as he looked down at his two unconscious students with a smile.

Back over with Slayer, who was still reeling from the energy he had exerted, he was surprised to see a hand extended to him. But what was even more surprising to him was seeing just who the hand belonged to.

"You put on quite a show, bub," said Wolverine with a wolfish grin.

Jack laughed as he accepted Logan's gesture and took his hand and helped himself up.

"You're not so bad yourself, Logan," he replied, "Does this mean you still want a rematch?"

"After what we just went through? You're crazier than I thought!" said Logan in a humored tone, "But for now, we'll call it even. You're a hell of a fighter, Slayer. And after what you just did, I think we can call a truce…For now."

"Coming from you, that's all I need to hear, Logan," said Jack as he caught his breath and drew his attention to the sky.

The others followed Jack's lead as Scott and Jean's well being was confirmed. And as they all looked up at the sky, a great sense of awe fell over them. This time, it wasn't one that brought them fear, apprehension, or uncertainty. This time, it was one of happiness, for the ordeal was finally over. And as a reward, they were blessed with a truly magnificent sight in the skies above them…A sight which they wouldn't soon forget.

"Wow…" said Colossus as he and the others became fixated on the brilliant light show that Horus and Phoenix were putting on for them, "What is happening, comrade Slayer?"

"Oh they're just celebrating," he said casually in response, his all seeing eye glowing as confirmation of what he was witnessing.

"But are zhey going to be okay? Is zhere a chance zhat zhey might one day become unbalanced again?" asked Kurt.

"There's always a chance, I'm afraid," said Slayer with a slight sigh, "But as long as they remember what they have experienced at the hands of their mortal vessels, I think they'll be just fine. Remember, Scott and Jean are always going to be a part of these things. And because of that, I think Horus and Phoenix will have everything they need to be at peace."

Slayer's words were comforting as the X-men watched their immortal friends ascend into the sky. At long last, they could return to the cosmos. And as the two immortal birds let out cries of joy, ecstasy, and love…They filled the air with a shower of golden sparks, bathing the area around the temple in a warm glow of splendor that few other forces short of the divine could muster.

"So what are they doing now?" asked Bobby.

"Just saying goodbye, that's all," said the mutant warrior with a smile, "I may know much about sentiments from cosmic forces, but I think we have their eternal gratitude."

"Meh, whatever keeps us breathing," said Dazzler as she snuck in close to her boyfriend, wanting to take in this moment just as much as the others.

Up in the skies above, Horus and Phoenix were about to make their final ascent into the cosmos. However, before they departed, they sent their new friends one last message.

"**Thank you Slayer. Thank you X-men. From the depths of our eternal flames…Thank you."**

* * *

After a truly exhausting day facing cosmic entities and shadow demon generals, the X-men returned to institute in a tired heap. Slayer went with them to help ensure that Scott and Jean were okay. And aside from immense exhaustion, they were just fine.

When they got back, the two tired lovers were placed in the infirmary so they could rest up. The others stayed in the lower levels for a while as well, tending to the wounds they had suffered during the fight. For the most part they were minor and Slayer did what he could to lend a hand, giving them potions and elixirs that would help them heal.

Eventually, the need for rest overshadowed the need for healing and most of the Xavier residents retreated to their rooms. Only Logan, Ororo, Piotr, and the Professor remained down in the lower levels with Slayer as they worked to patch up some loose ends.

"I think that's the last of them," said Ororo with a tired yawn, "Bobby's probably going to be out for three days straight, Kitty's going to be talking to that boyfriend of hers all night, Kurt's back in his lair healing himself with his movies, and Warren and Ali aren't getting up off the couch anytime soon."

"You look kind of tired yourself, Ro," commented Logan with a grin, "You should probably turn in too."

"Believe me, comrade…We all should," groaned Colossus, stretching his oversized arms, "What about you, Jack? Would you like to stick around for a while and rest up?"

"I appreciate the offer, Pete. But I'm afraid I have to get going," said Slayer, who seemed to be the only one not reeling from exhaustion.

"Oh, so soon?" said Ororo with a disappointed gaze, "You come in and do all this with us and now you're just going to up and leave?"

"I'm sorry, but that's the way it has to be," said Slayer with a sigh, "The life of a warrior isn't easy and the only way I can continue doing what I do is to remain in the shadows."

It was disheartening, but given what they had learned from this man it was hardly surprising. He had his cause and they had theirs. And even though they had gotten off to a pretty rocky start, he had proven himself as a true warrior of honor. And in the eyes of Charles Xavier, that was more than enough to make him a friend.

"That's a shame, Jack," said the Professor, casting the mutant warrior a respectful glance, "It truly has been a pleasure working with you."

"Yeah, aside from the ass kicking ya gave us earlier," muttered Logan under his breath.

Xavier chose to ignore that, although Jack did get a laugh out of it.

"But still, you've proven your honor to me, Slayer. And should you ever need a place of shelter then my institute is always open to you."

"Thank you Professor Xavier," said the mutant warrior with a smile as he shook his hand, "It has been one's honor to fight by the side of your students. And should you ever find yourself facing another entity of unspeakable darkness…Well, you know who to call."

"We'll keep that in mind, bub," said Logan with a wolfish grin, "Just don't let it go to your head."

"Oh come now, Logan," said Ororo, rolling her eyes in amusement, "Are you AWLAYS going to hold a grudge?"

"If I didn't, it just wouldn't be me, darlin'."

"Yes, I'm sure," sighed Piotr.

Although Jack didn't have much of a sense of humor, he had to admit that these people were kind of fun to be around. He rarely got a chance to work with others in his line of work. That and his seeming inability to communicate with someone outside the realm of combat didn't make it any easier.

But after fighting alongside this team of misfit mutants, he found a new sense of respect for these people. Sure, they were obnoxious, sloppy, and downright weird at times. But they had a cause that they fought for and truly believed in. And that alone made them an honorable bunch in his book.

"So I guess this is goodbye?" said the Professor, giving Slayer one last approving glance.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said with a sigh, "I've done a few quick checks on Scott and Jean and I think they'll be just fine. Just make sure they get plenty of rest."

"Don't worry. They will be in the best of care. When should we check on them again?"

Taking another look into the sealed room where the two lovers were resting, Jack was struck with yet another vision. Only this time, it was a vision that brought a smile to his face, for it seemed as though Scott Summers and Jean Grey would do most of the healing on their own.

"Uh…I think you should just leave them be for tonight…And maybe for the first half of the morning as well," he said with a strange undertone in his voice.

"The morning?" scoffed Logan, "Why in the hell would they have to…"

However, the Professor had picked up on the subtext of Slayer's words and cast him a slight grin in response to let him know that he understood.

"Very well then, Jack. I understand."

"Yeah, I thought so," said Slayer with a humored grin, choosing to keep what he had just seen to himself, "Just be sure to tell them I said goodbye after they wake up."

"We will," said Piotr with a smile as he extended his hand as a token of camaraderie.

Slayer accepted the Russian born mutant's gesture. He did the same for the others as well, extending a token of peace and friendship. It felt strange for him since he had never been much for friends. But after spending so many years in desolation, it was nice knowing that he had allies in his fight against the forces of darkness.

"So I guess we'll see you around?" said Ororo, giving the young man a friendly hug after having saved her friends and helping her overcome her childhood fear.

"That's uncertain at best," said Slayer in his ever ambiguous tone, "The world is a complicated place, X-men. Nothing is ever absolute. Nothing is ever black and white. There is always a chance that this could be the last time we meet. Yet at the same time, there is always a chance that our paths will cross again. And should that day come, I look forward to seeing you all again."

"As will we, Slayer," said the Professor with a peaceful gesture.

"Yeah, but next time ya barge in here, try and make it a little less messy, will ya?" added Logan, always the suspicious one.

"I'll keep that in mind, Logan," said Slayer with a slight laugh as the then prepared to make his leave, "Until the day we meet again, I bid you farewell X-men. Never stop dreaming Professor…Never stop hoping. You all have the power. It's just a matter of how you use it. Remember that, and you'll all be fine. Oh, and Storm? Keep this guy out of trouble, will you?"

"Oh don't worry, Jack," said Ororo with a grin as she latched onto Logan's arm, much to his annoyance/amusement, "I promise you that Wolverine will be in good hands!"

Taking her words to heart, Slayer gave his new friends one last smile as he cast the spell that would once again take him to the shadows where he belonged. And as quickly as he came, the mutant warrior known as Slayer began to disappear in a haze of purple mist.

"I'm sure he is. Once more, it has been a pleasure X-men. And as a warrior and a friend, it has been one's honor to fight by your side."

With one final wave goodbye from Professor Xavier, Wolverine, Storm, and Colossus…The mutant warrior vanished. But even though he was leaving, at least now they could finally call each other friends.

* * *

While Slayer was making his final goodbyes and the rest of the X-men were finally turning in, the two embodiments of Horus and Phoenix remained awake. They were so tired and drained from their ordeal, yet despite this they still had enough energy to snuggle up to one another in a show of passion, love, and relief.

Scott Summers and Jean Grey knew that they were always going to be linked…Not just to Phoenix and Horus, but also to each other as well. After what they had just experienced, they now more certain than ever that they were meant to be.

They shared a bond that was literally out of this world and to express that bond, they celebrated by making love together on through the night. It was slow, passionate, and fervent…Fueled by the emotions and feelings that had formed from the experience of becoming immortal deities together…An experience they would never forget.

"Jean…" moaned Scott as he held his lover's naked body in his arms as he tenderly made love to her, "So much…Love you…So much."

"Oh Scott…" she cried, holding onto him with all her might as she felt her entire being consumed with the joys and ecstasies of love and passion, "I love you too. From the end of the universe and back…I love you."

Then, in a final show of the power they still bore, their bodies glowed together in a soft golden flame, showing that they were and forever would be Horus and Phoenix at heart.

The link between them was solid. The connection they shared was unbreakable. And they knew that somewhere out in the vast distances of space, two immortal entities that they would forever be a part of were looking back down on them…And smiling.

**The End.**

* * *

AN: Well, there you have it! The power of the cosmos is finally at peace and the X-men have a new ally to turn to whenever the forces of darkness rear their ugly heads! I know this was a lot shorter than some of the other stories I've done, but I think I was due to make something that was short, sweet, and to the point. Overall, I'm very happy with how this turned out. I think it's a good start for my first Ultimate fic.

But what do you think? How did you all like my story? And what did you think of my OC, Slayer? Please tell me! Just because it's over, that doesn't mean that the reviews have to stop! So please! I urge you all to REVIEW this fic! It's my first Ultimate fic and I'm really eager to know what you all think! Please post your comments on the fanfiction website or send them to me via email! I don't care which one you do as long as you REVIEW!

This story is done, but I've still got plenty more to come! This was just a prelude because coming up next, I return to the X-men Evolution universe to bring you what so many people want…And Evolution Phoenix Saga! If you thought Phoenix was big in this story, then wait till you see what I have planned next! The fic will be entitled "Heart of the Phoenix" and you won't want to miss it!

In addition, I'd also like to thank the following people for all their wonderful support: **Agent-G, Quillian, Amazing Redd Phoenix, Jenskott, Wen1, Mark C, and Silverdash.**

Well, another story is over and another tale is done. It's been a hell of a ride and I thank all those who have supported me every step of the way! For each and every one of you, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I wish you all the best! So until next time, this is slickboy444 saying peace out!

THE ETERNAL FLAMES HAVE FINALLY BEEN CALMED! BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE REVIEWS SHOULD STOP! SO PLEASE! IN THE NAME OF HORUS AND PHOENIX, REVIEW!

_Sometimes you control your emotions…Sometimes they control you._


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